1. Moscow — St. Petersburg: the main logistical artery
PHOTO 2: The M-11 Neva highway with moving trucks
The corridor between the two capitals confidently ranks first in terms of the intensity of cargo traffic. The M-11 Neva highway passes more than 11 thousand trucks every day.
Route features:
- Annual cargo turnover: 67 million tons
- Main cargo: consumer goods, electronics, food
- Average delivery time: 8-10 hours
- Innovations: 167 self-driving trucks regularly ply the highway
The route is characterized by the introduction of advanced technologies: autonomous transport has reduced the cost of transportation by 18-23%.
2. Vladivostok — Moscow: a bridge to Asia
PHOTO 3: Container train on the Trans-Siberian Railway
The eastern direction came in second place due to the reorientation of trade flows. The transcontinental route has become a key element of the new Silk Road.
Direction Parameters:
- Length: 9.258 km
- Cargo turnover: 52.7 million tons (+37% by 2023)
- Delivery time: 7-9 days by rail, 10-14 days by road
- Structure: 68% rail transportation, 32% automobile and multimodal
The modernization of the Trans-Siberian Railway increased capacity by 34%, which stimulated the growth of container traffic between Asia and Europe via Russia.
3. Moscow — Yekaterinburg: industrial Urals
PHOTO 4: Cargo transport on the M-5 Ural highway
The route connecting central Russia with the industrial Urals provides a link between the largest industrial centers.
Key indicators:
- Length: 1,795 km
- Cargo turnover: 49.3 million tons
- Cargo structure: metals (31%), equipment (25%), building materials (18%)
- Special feature: specialized services for industrial and oversized cargo
Reconstruction of sections of the M-5 Ural highway has increased capacity by 38% and reduced travel time.
4. Novorossiysk — Moscow: Southern gate
PHOTO 5: Novorossiysk port with container terminals
The route connecting the largest port on the Black Sea with the capital has acquired strategic importance after the global restructuring of logistics chains.
Characteristics of the direction:
- Length: 1,534 km
- Cargo turnover: 44.8 million tons
- Commodity structure: imported goods (37%), food (31%)
- Feature: seasonality with a peak during the harvest period (July-October)
A 34% increase in refrigerated shipments is associated with an increase in food imports through the southern ports.
5. Moscow — Kazan — Ufa: the Eastern Corridor
PHOTO 6: Highway M-12 "Vostok" - the general plan of the new highway
The opening of the full route of the M-12 Vostok highway in early 2025 has radically changed the logistics landscape of the eastern direction.
Route Parameters:
- Length: 1,331 km to Ufa
- Estimated cargo turnover: 38.7 million tons
- Effect: reduced delivery time by 41%
- Key cargoes: automotive components, petrochemicals, machine-building products
The IB highway with a speed limit of 110 km/h serves the needs of automobile clusters in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan.
6. St. Petersburg — Murmansk: Northern gate
PHOTO 7: Arctic cargo transportation on the Kola highway
The development of the Northern Sea Route has made the route one of the strategically important ones. Cargo traffic increased by 23% over the year.
The specifics of the direction:
- Length: 1,382 km
- Cargo turnover: 29.4 million tons
- Structure: equipment for Arctic projects (33%), building materials (27%)
- Specifics: pronounced seasonality (peak May-October)
The reconstruction of the R-21 Kola highway has increased the safety and speed of transportation in difficult climatic conditions.
7. Krasnodar — Rostov — Moscow: agrarian south
PHOTO 8: Agricultural cargo transportation in the south of Russia
The southern direction, which connects agricultural regions with the center of Russia, shows a steady increase in the transportation of agricultural products.
Key parameters:
- Length: 1,346 km
- Cargo turnover: 27.8 million tons
- Seasonality: increased flow by 60% during the harvest period
- Structure: cereals (36%), fresh vegetables and fruits (22%)
The modernization of the M-4 Don has increased throughput and reduced delivery time by 28%.
8. Yekaterinburg — Novosibirsk: Siberian transit
PHOTO 9: Cargo transportation along the Irtysh highway
Transport links between the Urals and Siberia form an important internal logistics corridor with a high proportion of transit cargo.
Direction Parameters:
- Length: 1,602 km
- Cargo turnover: 24.2 million tons
- Structure: industrial equipment (29%), metal products (23%)
- Feature: 47% of transit cargo going further east
Reconstruction of sections of the R-254 "Irtysh" improved the quality of road infrastructure and increased traffic safety.
9. Kaliningrad — Moscow: Western enclave
PHOTO 10: Ust-Luga — Baltiysk ferry crossing
Despite the transit difficulties, the route remains of strategic importance for connecting the enclave with the main territory of Russia.
Characteristics of the direction:
- Annual cargo turnover: 18.7 million tons
- Logistics schemes: Ust-Luga — Baltiysk ferry line, rail transit
- Structure: cars (31%), electronics (22%), furniture (17%)
- Feature: the cost of transportation is 30-35% higher than similar routes
The development of ferry services has increased the capacity by 42% over the past two years.
10. Nizhny Novgorod — Kazan — Samara: the Volga corridor
PHOTO 11: Industrial logistics in the Volga region
The regional route connecting the industrial centers of the Volga region closes the top ten popular cargo transportation destinations.
Basic parameters:
- Length: 648 km
- Cargo turnover: 17.9 million tons
- Structure: automotive components (32%), petrochemicals (28%), mechanical engineering (21%)
- Specifics: intensive oncoming cargo flows between production sites
The creation of logistics centers in key cities has optimized the movement of goods in the region.
Factors affecting the popularity of routes
PHOTO 12: Infographics on factors affecting cargo flows
The transformation of freight transportation in Russia is driven by several key trends:
- The geopolitical factor
- Trade turnover growth with Asia (China +37%, India +31%)
- Increase in domestic traffic by 19%
- Infrastructural development
- Completion of the construction of the M-12 Vostok
- Modernization of BAM and Transsib (+34% of capacity)
- Port capacity development (+28% in the Azov-Black Sea basin)
- Technological innovation
- Electronic document management (73% reduction in registration)
- Unmanned transport (234 autonomous trucks on key routes)
- Digital platforms (17% reduction in empty flights)
Understanding these factors allows logistics companies to optimize routes, reduce costs and increase the efficiency of operations in key Russian freight transportation areas.
