TSGB 2011: Freight

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Summary

This chapter of Transport Statistics Great Britain contains data relating to trends in the methods used to transport goods around Great Britain and the type of goods that are being transported. It also considers the efficiency of the road freight industry, which is responsible for the majority of tonnage delivered.

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Key points

In 2009, the level of domestic freight was at broadly the same level as in 1991, at around 215 billion tonnes kilometres (Chart 1).
Since the late-1980s, more than 60 per cent of goods have been moved by road, although the amount of goods moved by road decreased by 13 per cent between 2008 and 2009 to 137 billion tonnes kilometres and rose to 151 billion tonne kilometres in 2010.
Goods moved by rail account for around 9 per cent of all goods moved. In recent years, rail freight has also accounted for around 5 per cent of goods lifted, compared with 9 per cent in 1980/81.
In 2010, 2.47 million goods vehicles travelled from Great Britain to mainland Europe, 4 per cent higher than the 2009 total and 76 per cent higher than in 1992.
This figure was made up of 1.79 million powered vehicles, up 2 per cent from 2009 and up 133 per cent from 1992, and 673 thousand unaccompanied trailers, up 10 per cent from 2009 and up 7 per cent from 1992.

Table number	Table name	Alternative number
TSGB0401	Domestic freight transport: by mode: 1953 onwards	–
TSGB0402	Domestic freight moved: by commodity	–
TSGB0403	Domestic freight transport: by mode: 2000 onwards	–
TSGB0404	Freight transport by road: goods lifted by type and weight of vehicle: annual 1989 onwards and quarterly 2004 onwards	RFS0106
TSGB0405	Freight transport by road: goods moved by type and weight of vehicle: annual 1989 onwards and quarterly 2004 onwards	RFS0107
TSGB0406	Freight transport by road: average length of haul by vehicle type, annual 2000 onwards	RFS0116
TSGB0407	Freight transport by road: goods lifted and goods moved by mode of working: annual 1989 onwards and quarterly 2004 onwards	RFS0108
TSGB0408	Freight transport by road: goods lifted by commodity, 2000 onwards	RFS0110
TSGB0409	Freight transport by road: goods moved by commodity, 2000 onwards	RFS0111
TSGB0410	Freight transport by road: average length of haul by commodity: annual 2000 onwards	RFS0112
TSGB0411	International road haulage by UK-registered vehicles: goods lifted by country of unloading, 2000 onwards	RFS0202
TSGB0412	International road haulage by UK-registered vehicles: goods lifted by country of loading, 2000 onwards	RFS0203
TSGB0413	International road haulage by UK-registered vehicles: goods moved by country of unloading, 2000 onwards	RFS0204
TSGB0414	International road haulage by UK-registered vehicles: goods moved by country of loading, 2000 onwards	RFS0205
TSGB0415	International road haulage by UK-registered vehicles: tonnes lifted by commodity group, 2004 onwards	RFS0206
TSGB0416	International road haulage by UK-registered vehicles: tonnes moved by commodity group, 2004 onwards	RFS0207
TSGB0417	Freight transport by road: goods loaded (tonnes) in the UK by foreign-registered HGVs, by vehicle registration country, 2004 onwards	RFS0208
TSGB0418	Freight transport by road: goods unloaded (tonnes) in the UK by foreign-registered HGVs, by vehicle registration country, 2004 onwards	RFS0209
TSGB0419	Freight transport by road: goods loaded (tonne kilometres) in the UK by foreign-registered HGVs, by vehicle registration country, 2004 onwards	RFS0210
TSGB0420	Freight transport by road: goods unloaded (tonne kilometres) in the UK by foreign-registered HGVs, by vehicle registration country, 2004 onwards	RFS0211
TSGB0421	Freight transport by road: cabotage within the UK by country of registration of vehicle, 2000 onwards	RFS0212
TSGB0422	National Railways freight moved by commodity: 1996/97 onwards	–
TSGB0423	National Railways freight lifted by commodity: 1996/97 onwards	–
TSGB0424	Number of freight train movements, impacts on road haulage and Freight Performance Measure: 2005/06 onwards	–
TSGB0425	Roll-on/roll-off ferry and Channel Tunnel traffic; road goods vehicles outward to mainland Europe: by country of registration	–
TSGB0426	Roll-on/roll-off ferry and Channel Tunnel traffic; road goods vehicles outward to mainland Europe	–

Technical information

Full guidance on the methods used to compile these statistics and their sources can be found in the Transport Statistics Great Britain 2011 Notes and Definitions: