<article class="article"> <!-- Header --> <header class="article-header"> <div class="article-meta"> <span class="article-category">Legislation</span> <span class="article-meta-dot">&bull;</span> <span class="article-read-time">8 min</span> </div> <h1 class="article-title">Your mover does not cost twenty euros per hour</h1> <p class="article-intro">They cost thirty-one euros. And since January, it has gone up even more. This is the story of the CLA 2026 - and why you need to act now.</p> </header> <!-- Hero Image --> <img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/671a2b3d0c3830f284c6ac20/6980ff6f36fecbabf0e78eba_cao-2026-hero.jpg" alt="Movers with boxes next to a moving truck, with a calculator and salary documents in the background - illustration about staff costs in the moving industry" class="article-hero"> <!-- Content --> <div class="article-content"> <p class="lead-text">Picture this. It is Monday morning. You are sitting at your desk with a cup of coffee and last week's timesheets. Three are late. One is unreadable. And for that job on Thursday, the hours do not match what the customer says.</p> <p>Sound familiar?</p> <p>You are not the only one. Most moving companies struggle with the same problem: they do not know exactly what their staff costs. They think in gross hourly wages. Twenty euros here, twenty-four euros there.</p> <p><strong>But that is not what you actually pay.</strong></p> <h2>What is the real cost per mover?</h2> <p>Take an experienced mover. Scale D6. On paper, they earn EUR 20.24 per hour. Sounds straightforward.</p> <p>But then come the employer contributions. Holiday allowance: eight percent. Pension: almost sixteen percent. Social premiums: another seventeen percent. Reserve for vacation days. Reserve for sick leave.</p> <p>Add it all up and you are looking at <strong>fifty to fifty-five percent</strong> on top of that gross wage.</p> <p>That mover at twenty euros?</p> <div class="big-number"> <div class="big-number-value">EUR 31.17</div> <div class="big-number-label">That is what they actually cost you. Per hour.</div> </div> <p>And your foreman? They come in at almost thirty-seven euros.</p> <h2>What changes with the CLA 2026?</h2> <p>The new CLA has taken effect. Four percent wage increase. May not sound like much. But that four percent cascades through everything. Premiums rise along with it. Holiday allowance rises along with it. Pension contributions rise along with it.</p> <div class="info-cards"> <div class="info-card"> <div class="info-card-value">+4%</div> <div class="info-card-label">Wage increase</div> </div> <div class="info-card"> <div class="info-card-value">+EUR 40</div> <div class="info-card-label">Per move</div> </div> <div class="info-card"> <div class="info-card-value">EUR 0.19</div> <div class="info-card-label">Levy per km</div> </div> </div> <p>For a typical move - eight hours, team of four - this means forty euros extra in staff costs. Per job.</p> <p>And that is not all. From July 1st, the <a href="/blog/vrachtwagenheffing-2026-verhuizers">truck toll</a> kicks in. Nineteen cents per kilometer. A move from Amsterdam to Utrecht, round trip, costs you about fifteen euros extra. In tolls alone.</p> <p><strong>The margins you had? They are evaporating. Unless you act.</strong></p> <h2>What changes in the CLA 2026?</h2> <p>The new CLA for Professional Road Transport has been finalized. These are the key changes:</p> <h3>Wages and allowances</h3> <ul> <li>All pay scales (A through H) increase by <strong>4%</strong></li> <li>Gross allowances increase by 4% as well</li> <li>Subsistence costs increase by a maximum of 4%</li> </ul> <h3>New rules</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Early retirement scheme</strong> (heavy labor) extended to 2030</li> <li><strong>Loading time</strong> fully paid</li> <li><strong>Electric charging</strong> counts as working time</li> <li><strong>Parking costs</strong> covered by employer</li> <li><strong>Vacation days</strong> including structural allowances</li> </ul> <h2>Why is it getting even more complicated?</h2> <p>The new CLA demands more from your administration. Stricter. More precise.</p> <p>Your payslip must now include start and end times. You must be able to explain why you corrected hours. Allowances for overtime, night work, weekends - they must be accurate. Down to the minute.</p> <p>And those timesheets on your desk? They are not going to help you.</p> <div class="highlight-box"> <p>"With the new CLA requirements, paperwork becomes a risk. One mistake and you are not compliant. Or you are overpaying. Often both."</p> </div> <h2>CLA wages per role: 2025 vs 2026</h2> <p>Here you can see exactly what each role costs. We show the top wages per scale.</p> <h3 class="table-title">Gross monthly wages</h3> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Role</th> <th>Scale</th> <th>2025</th> <th>2026</th> <th>Difference</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Assistant mover</td> <td>C6</td> <td>EUR 3,179</td> <td>EUR 3,307</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 128</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Mover</td> <td>D6</td> <td>EUR 3,385</td> <td>EUR 3,520</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 135</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Driver (experienced)</td> <td>E7</td> <td>EUR 3,692</td> <td>EUR 3,840</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 148</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Foreman</td> <td>F8</td> <td>EUR 4,013</td> <td>EUR 4,174</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 161</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Planner / Coordinator</td> <td>G9</td> <td>EUR 4,410</td> <td>EUR 4,586</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 176</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <h3 class="table-title">Gross hourly wages</h3> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Role</th> <th>Scale</th> <th>2025</th> <th>2026</th> <th>Difference</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Assistant mover</td> <td>C6</td> <td>EUR 18.28</td> <td>EUR 19.01</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 0.73</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Mover</td> <td>D6</td> <td>EUR 19.46</td> <td>EUR 20.24</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 0.78</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Driver (experienced)</td> <td>E7</td> <td>EUR 21.23</td> <td>EUR 22.08</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 0.85</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Foreman</td> <td>F8</td> <td>EUR 23.08</td> <td>EUR 24.00</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 0.92</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <h2>What does your team actually cost?</h2> <p>The gross wage is just the beginning. As an employer, you pay a lot on top of that.</p> <h3 class="table-title">Employer contributions 2026</h3> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Premium</th> <th>Percentage</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Unemployment insurance (permanent contract)</td> <td>2.74%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Disability fund (small employer)</td> <td>6.26%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Health Insurance Act (Zvw)</td> <td>6.10%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Return-to-work fund (Whk)</td> <td>1.52%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Childcare allowance</td> <td>0.50%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Holiday allowance</td> <td>8.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vacation days reserve</td> <td>~9.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pension premium</td> <td>~15.80%</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sick leave reserve</td> <td>~4.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Total</strong></td> <td><strong>50-55%</strong></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <h3 class="table-title">What does a mover actually cost?</h3> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Role</th> <th>Gross hourly wage</th> <th>+ Employer contributions</th> <th>Actual cost</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Assistant mover</td> <td>EUR 19.01</td> <td>+EUR 10.27</td> <td><strong>EUR 29.28/hr</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Mover</td> <td>EUR 20.24</td> <td>+EUR 10.93</td> <td><strong>EUR 31.17/hr</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Driver (experienced)</td> <td>EUR 22.08</td> <td>+EUR 11.92</td> <td><strong>EUR 34.00/hr</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Foreman</td> <td>EUR 24.00</td> <td>+EUR 12.96</td> <td><strong>EUR 36.96/hr</strong></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p><strong>A mover does not cost you EUR 20 per hour. They cost EUR 31 per hour.</strong></p> <h2>How much more does a move cost in 2026?</h2> <p>Let us calculate with a standard move: 8 hours, team of 4.</p> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Role</th> <th>2025</th> <th>2026</th> <th>Difference</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Foreman (8 hours)</td> <td>EUR 284</td> <td>EUR 296</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 12</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Movers (2x8 hours)</td> <td>EUR 480</td> <td>EUR 499</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 19</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Assistant (8 hours)</td> <td>EUR 225</td> <td>EUR 234</td> <td class="positive">+EUR 9</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Total staff</strong></td> <td><strong>EUR 989</strong></td> <td><strong>EUR 1,029</strong></td> <td class="positive"><strong>+EUR 40</strong></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p><strong>A move costs you EUR 40 more in staff.</strong> Add the <a href="/blog/vrachtwagenheffing-2026-verhuizers">truck toll</a> (+EUR 0.19/km from July 2026) and you understand why your rates need to go up.</p> <h2>Is there another way?</h2> <p>Imagine your team no longer has to write their hours on paper.</p> <p>Imagine you open your laptop in the morning and immediately see who worked yesterday, how many hours, on which job. Without calling. Without searching. Without doubting.</p> <p>Imagine that overtime is automatically detected. That night allowances are calculated automatically. That at the end of the month, you no longer have to puzzle things together.</p> <p><strong>That is possible.</strong></p> <p>With the Bas employee app, your people register their hours digitally. They select which job they are working on with a single tap. They see their worked time and how far along they are in their workday.</p> <p>The result: you have the hours. On time. Correct. Ready to approve.</p> <h2>Your foreman closes the job in the app</h2> <p>The move is done. Your foreman picks up their phone.</p> <p>They enter the hours. The customer signs digitally. If payment is needed on the spot, they handle it right there. They press 'close job'.</p> <p>At the office, you see it right away. The job is marked green. The hours are in. The work order is signed. You can invoice. Read more about how <a href="/oplossing/uitvoering">the execution module</a> makes this possible.</p> <p>No timesheet arriving three days later. No discussion about what was agreed. No double work.</p> <h2>You know what you are spending</h2> <p>The dashboard shows you what your team actually costs. Per employee. Per job. Per week, month, year.</p> <p>You see who works efficiently and who does not. You see where your sick leave sits. You see which jobs are profitable and which cost you money.</p> <p>And with that information, you can make decisions. <a href="/oplossing/verkoop">Adjust rates</a>. Improve processes. Stay in control.</p> <h2>How do you calculate your new rate?</h2> <p><strong>Rule of thumb for 2026:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>At least +5%</strong> to maintain margins</li> <li><strong>+7-8%</strong> if you did not raise last year</li> <li><strong>+10%</strong> if you also want to cover the truck toll</li> </ul> <h3 class="table-title">Example rate increase</h3> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Current rate</th> <th>+5%</th> <th>+8%</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>EUR 45/hr</td> <td>EUR 47.25</td> <td>EUR 48.60</td> </tr> <tr> <td>EUR 50/hr</td> <td>EUR 52.50</td> <td>EUR 54.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td>EUR 1,200 day rate</td> <td>EUR 1,260</td> <td>EUR 1,296</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <h2>What should you do now?</h2> <p>The CLA changes have already taken effect. Your staff costs have risen. The question is: have you already adjusted your rates?</p> <p><strong>You have two options.</strong></p> <p><strong>Option one:</strong> you keep doing what you did. Collecting timesheets. Calculating allowances manually. Hoping it is correct. And discovering at the end of the year that your margins have disappeared.</p> <p><strong>Option two:</strong> you take a different approach. You make sure you know what your staff costs. You digitize what you can digitize. You adjust your rates before it is too late. Also read how <a href="/blog/digitalisering">digitalization makes your moving company future-proof</a>.</p> <p>The choice is yours.</p> <div class="summary-box"> <h3>All CLA changes at a glance</h3> <ul class="summary-list"> <li><span class="label">Wage increase</span><span class="value">+4% from January 1, 2026</span></li> <li><span class="label">Subsistence costs</span><span class="value">Maximum +4%</span></li> <li><span class="label">Early retirement scheme</span><span class="value">Extended to December 31, 2030</span></li> <li><span class="label">Loading time</span><span class="value">Fully paid</span></li> <li><span class="label">Electric charging</span><span class="value">Counts as working time</span></li> <li><span class="label">Parking costs</span><span class="value">Covered by employer</span></li> <li><span class="label">Vacation days</span><span class="value">Including structural allowances</span></li> <li><span class="label">Administration</span><span class="value">Stricter payslip requirements</span></li> </ul> </div> <!-- CTA --> <div class="cta-section"> <h2>Work more efficiently with the most complete software for movers</h2> <p>Contact us for more information or book a demo directly.<br>In 30 minutes we will show you how Bas can help your business.</p> <a href="https://bas.software/demo" class="cta-button">Book your demo now</a> </div> <!-- Sources --> <div class="sources"> <strong>Sources:</strong> CLA Professional Road Transport 2026, pay scales from Flexpedia, employer contributions as published by Van Oers and UWV, FNV. </div> </div> </article>