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For more information on this release:
E-mail: transport@cso.ie Jim Dalton +353 21 4535120 Noreen Dorgan +353 21 4535260
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-7174
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Road Freight Transport Survey

2013

 20122013% change
   Tonnes carried (thousand)108,078108,8310.7
Tonne-km (million)9,8959,138-7.7
Vehicle kilometres (million)1,3161,261-4.2
      Average number of vehicles79,97176,967-3.8
  Laden journeys (thousand)10,0579,925-1.3

Tonnes carried increased by 0.7% in 2013

Figure 1: P-RFTS Tonnes carried 2010-2013
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Key results for 2013

  • In 2013, the quantity of goods transported increased marginally to 109 million tonnes (+0.7%) while the number of kilometres travelled by Irish registered goods vehicles fell by 4.2% to 1.26 billion kilometres. See Table A.
  • Between 2012 and 2013, the amount of freight activity by Irish registered goods vehicles fell by 7.7%, down from 9.9 billion tonne-kilometres (tonne-km) to 9.1 billion tonne-km. See Table A.
  • The average number of registered goods vehicles fell by 3.8%, down from 80,000 in 2012 to just under 77,000 in 2013. See Table A.
  • The amount of freight activity by vehicles used for hire or reward fell by 8.5% to 7 billion tonne-km while that of own account operators fell by 4.9% to 2.2 billion tonne-km. See Tables B and L.
  • The quantity of goods carried by businesses owned by transport companies increased by 4.4% to 60.9 million tonnes in 2013. The amount of goods carried by all other businesses fell by 3.6%. See Tables C and L.
Table A: Key road freight statistics, 2003-2013
      
YearTonne-km   Tonnes carriedVehicle kilometres      Average number of vehicles  Laden journeys
      
 millionthousandmillionnumberthousand
      
200315,679251,7911,96671,45919,709
200417,011273,5572,13973,07520,767
200517,819291,8832,31279,91622,425
200617,322299,0302,24287,13523,248
200718,707299,3072,33297,75223,646
200817,289245,7882,20797,64020,085
200912,071148,3281,58587,61612,659
201010,924125,8651,45784,02511,177
20119,941110,2601,33881,17810,168
20129,895108,0781,31679,97110,057
20139,138108,8311,26176,9679,925
      

Main use of vehicle

Vehicles used for hire or reward performed more than three quarters (76%) of total road freight activity, amounting to 7 billion tonne-km in 2013. These vehicles carried 69.6 million tonnes and travelled a total of 724 million vehicle kilometres during 2013. Vehicles used for own account purposes accounted for 2.2 billion tonne-km (24%) of total activity, and travelled a total of 538 million vehicle kilometres, carrying 39.3 million tonnes of goods (see tables B and 1).

Table B: Road freight activity by main use of vehicle, 2013
  
Main use of vehicleTonne-kmTonnes carriedVehicle kilometres
       
 million%thousand%million%
       
Hire or reward6,96976.369,57163.972457.4
Own account2,16923.739,26036.153842.6
       
Total9,138100.0108,831100.01,261100.0
       

Business of Owner

Vehicles owned by transport companies carried 60.9 million tonnes of goods in 2013 compared to 47.9 million tonnes by all other goods vehicles. Although carrying a greater quantity of goods, vehicles owned by transport companies travelled less, covering 618 million vehicle kilometres compared to 643 million for all other goods vehicles. Vehicles in the transport sector accounted for 37% of all laden journeys compared to 63% for all other goods vehicles. (see tables C and 3).

Table C: Road freight activity by business of owner, 2013
         
Business of ownerTonne-km  Tonnes carriedVehicle kilometresLaden journeys
         
 million%thousand%million%thousand%
         
Transport6,34769.560,89856.061849.03,64936.8
Other2,79130.547,93344.064351.06,27663.2
         
Total9,138100.0108,831100.01,261100.09,925100.0
         
X-axis labelOther companiesTransport companies
2003139936119529
200419010393231
200521949284374
200620830690724
2007190460108859
200814640399385
20098185066478
20106702758839
20115542154839
20124974158337
20134793360898

In 2013, vehicles owned by transport companies carried more goods than all other goods vehicles for the first time since 2002. The difference between both was at its highest between 2004 and 2007. Since then, the amount of goods carried by vehicles owned by businesses outside the transport sector has declined at a much faster rate than those within the sector (see chart A).

Other companiesTransport companies
200650.149.9
20074357
200841.558.5
200939.860.2
201038.361.7
201133.566.5
201230.769.3
201330.569.5

The contribution of vehicles owned by transport companies, in terms of tonne-km, to overall road freight activity was 69.3% in 2013 and this has been increasing steadily since 2006 when it was just under 50%. This change has been at the expense of vehicles owned by other businesses, whose share of total activity has fallen from 50.1% in 2006 to just 30.7% in 2013 (see chart B).

Size of vehicles in Fleet

In 2013, two thirds (66.6%) of the total fleet (76,967 vehicles) had an unladen weight of between 2 to 5 tonnes.  However, these vehicles were responsible for just 4% of the total weight of goods transported and 2.8% of total activity in terms of tonne-km. They also made nearly one third of all laden journeys. Vehicles with an unladen weight of at least 10 tonnes accounted for 20.7% of the vehicle fleet but were responsible for 88.5% of total activity in terms of tonne-km. These vehicles carried 94 million tonnes of goods, representing 86.3% of the total tonnes carried and made just over half of all laden journeys (see tables D and 3).

Table D: Road freight activity by unladen weight of vehicle, 2013
         
Unladen weight (tonnes)Tonne-kmTonnes carriedNo. of vehiclesLaden journeys
         
 million%thousand%number%thousand%
         
2 - 52582.84,3254.051,27866.63,24932.7
5 - 7.51611.82,3962.24,8036.25665.7
7.5 - 106316.98,1597.54,9506.41,04210.5
10 - 12.52,56628.133,23930.56,8208.91,99620.1
Over 12.55,52260.460,71255.89,11611.83,07231.0
         
Total9,138100.0108,831100.076,967100.09,925100.0
         

Age of Fleet

Vehicles manufactured in the years 2005 to 2008 accounted for nearly half of the goods vehicle fleet in 2013. These vehicles carried 53.2% of all goods and accounted for just over half of overall road freight activity (tonne-km). Almost three in ten of all vehicles (28.4%) were aged 10 years and older and they carried just over one fifth (20.6%) of all goods. See tables E, 11 and 12.

Table E: Road freight activity by age of vehicle, 2013
         
Year of manufactureTonne-kmTonnes carriedVehicle kilometresNo. of vehicles
         
 million%thousand%million%number%
         
20135886.439653.6685.41,8992.5
20126497.14,3304.0937.43,1344.1
20115926.55,0194.6826.53,1854.1
20103704.03,3243.0584.62,6083.4
20093303.63,0532.8453.62,2142.9
20081,07711.811,70710.815112.08,18810.6
20071,17612.915,73614.516713.210,78914.0
20061,33414.616,93115.616913.49,92312.9
20051,08611.913,57612.513410.67,4609.7
20046036.68,7058.0816.45,6797.4
2003 or before1,33514.622,48420.621416.921,88828.4
          
Total9,138100.0108,831100.01,261100.076,967100.0
         

Length of Haul

In 2013, the bulk of road freight activity as measured by tonne-km (86%) was carried out over distances greater than 50 kilometres. A total of 50.7 million tonnes of goods (47% of the total) was transported over these longer distances, covering 707 million vehicle kilometres. For distances of 50 km and less, the total amount of goods carried was greater (58.1 million tonnes) but this represented just 14% of the overall activity, as measured by tonne-km (see tables F and 5).

Table F: Road freight activity by length of haul, 2013
       
Length of haulTonne-kmTonnes carriedVehicle kilometres
       
 million%thousand%million%
       
Up to 10 km800.913,01512.044235.0
10 - 25 km4134.523,70821.8403.2
25 - 50 km7648.421,40019.6735.8
50 - 150 km2,55427.929,92727.524619.5
150 - 500 km4,16245.619,47117.938030.1
Over 500 km1,16512.71,3111.2816.4
       
Total9,138100.0108,831100.01,261100.0
       

Commodity Transported

Of the total weight of goods carried, the commodity group quarry products, metal ores and peat accounted for the largest share, representing 22.5% of the total (24.5 million tonnes) in 2013. This was followed by foodstuffs which accounted for 18.5% (20.2 million tonnes). However, the contribution of quarry products, metal ores and peat to overall road freight activity, in terms of tonne-km, was just 9%, reflecting heavier loads carried over shorter distances. In contrast, foodstuffs accounted for more than a quarter (26.2%) of total tonne-km (see tables G, 9 and 10).

Table G: Road freight activity by commodity group carried, 2013
    
CommodityTonne-kmTonnes carriedVehicle kilometres
    
 millionthousandmillion
    
Products of agriculture, forestry and fishing1,04011,71577
Coal and natural gas637575
Quarry products, metal ores and peat80424,49341
Foodstuffs2,39520,159213
Textiles and leather1141,02918
Wood, pulp and paper5024,29142
Coke and refined petroleum products7969,24345
Chemicals and plastics4474,56342
Other non-metallic mineral products58113,49544
Metal products (except machinery and equipment)2622,19821
Machinery and equipment2291,82634
Furniture and other manufactured goods1361,18931
Secondary raw materials and waste2263,26822
Other goods1,54210,604626
  
Total9,138108,8311,261
    

Active and inactive vehicles

The average vehicle fleet size during 2013 was 76,967, two-thirds of which were in the “2 to 5 tonnes” unladen weight category. There were 22,288 idle1 vehicles and these accounted for 29% of the total fleet. The smaller weight categories had a higher proportion of idle vehicles. For example, 31% of vehicles with an unladen weight of less than 7.5 tonnes were idle, while 22% of those with an unladen weight in excess of 10 tonnes were idle (see table H).

Just over 25,500 vehicles were regarded as non-relevant2, representing a third of the fleet. Non relevant vehicles accounted for 43% of those with an unladen weight of less than 5 tonnes. By comparison, only one tenth of vehicles with an unladen weight of 10 tonnes or more were deemed to be non-relevant (see table H). 

1 Vehicles can be idle for various reasons, such as undergoing repairs, no work being available, awaiting resale at vehicle   dealers, holidays etc. Furthermore, some of the old vehicles are retained by their owners but used infrequently.

 2 Some vehicles surveyed, though taxed as goods vehicles and capable of carrying freight, were found to be used exclusively as passenger vehicles or for service type work. These vehicles were classified as non-relevant and were not included in the survey estimates. They were, however, included in all fleet analyses.

Table H: Goods vehicle use in 2013
       
Unladen weight (tonnes)Number of vehiclesNumber of idle vehiclesNumber of non-relevant vehicles
       
 number%number%number%
       
2 - 551,27866.615,98371.722,10386.6
5 - 7.54,8036.21,5466.91,1514.5
7.5 - 104,9506.41,2595.76532.6
10 - 12.56,8208.91,7137.76952.7
Over 12.59,11611.91,7898.09213.6
       
Total76,967100.022,288100.025,523100.0
       

Main type of work carried out

Goods vehicles involved in the delivery of goods to road works or building sites carried 30.6 million tonnes of goods in 2013, which was the highest among all types of work carried out by goods vehicles. This was followed by those involved in deliveries to retail outlets (13.4 million) and  import/export work (12.2 million). See chart C and table 6.

 

Type of workTonnes
Import/export work12211000
Carriage of livestorck1261000
Carriage of other farm produce from frams5476000
Carriage of fertilisers, feeding stuffs, etc. to farms5418000
Delivery of goods to road works or building sites 30576000
Deliver of goods to retail outlets13378000
Deliver of goods to wholesalers8362000
Deliver of materials and fuels to factories9361000
Delivery of goods to households3804000
Other work18983000

When looking at the contribution of each category to overall road freight activity, a slightly different picture emerges. Vehicles involved in import/export work (2.4 billion tonne-km) were the largest contributors, representing 26% of total tonne-km. This was followed by those involved in delivery of goods to retail outlets (14.2%) (see chart D and table 6).

Type of work%
Import/export work25.9822698916493
Carriage of livestorck1.20389624603261
Carriage of other farm produce from frams3.66641129473569
Carriage of fertilisers, feeding stuffs, etc. to farms4.11513625916603
Delivery of goods to road works or building sites 10.7037320783627
Deliver of goods to retail outlets14.1840866805297
Deliver of goods to wholesalers10.5614534311043
Deliver of materials and fuels to factories8.95261026595163
Delivery of goods to households2.29834737878954
Other work18.3320564736785

National and international road freight activity

The vast majority of the 109 million tonnes of goods transported by Irish goods vehicles in 2013 was carried out within the Republic of Ireland. National transport accounted for 94% (102.8 million tonnes) of the total with international transport representing just 6%. In terms of overall road freight activity, as expressed by tonne-km, the difference was not quite as significant, with 78% of activity carried out within the national territory (see tables I, 2, 7 & 8).

Table I: National and international road freight activity in 2013
     
Type of transportTonne-kmTonnes carried
     
 million%thousand%
     
National7,13978.1102,76194.4
     
International1,99921.96,0705.6
     
Total9,138100.0108,831100.0
     

Dublin, South West and South East were the regions where the greatest share of domestic road freight activity (tonne-km) occurred in 2013. Together, they accounted for more than half (58.2%) of overall domestic road freight activity (see table J and table 16).

 Table J: Domestic transport activity classified by region, 2013
     
RegionTonne-kmTonnes carried
     
 million%thousand%
     
Border7039.810,1789.9
Midland4065.75,9905.8
West5948.38,2698.0
Dublin1,89626.625,18624.5
Mid-East6138.610,85510.6
Mid-West6709.49,9299.7
South-East1,07015.014,37114.0
South-West1,18516.617,98117.5
 
Total7,139100.0102,761100.0
     

Dublin was the region of origin and destination for one quarter (24.5%) of all goods carried within the national territory. The South-West and South-East followed with 17.5% and 14% respectively (see table J and table 16).

On the international front, the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland) continues to be the major source/destination region for the transport of goods to and from the Republic of Ireland. In total, 3.9 million tonnes of goods were transported. A total of 1.8 million tonnes was received and 2.1 million tonnes dispatched from the Republic of Ireland to the UK. See tables K and 16.

Table K: Tonnes of goods received/dispatched by country, 2013
       
CountryTonnage received Tonnage dispatched Total tonnage
         
thousand% thousand% thousand%
        
United Kingdom1,84288.7 2,10787.5 3,94988.1
(of which Northern Ireland)29614.3 30112.5 59713.3
France723.5 1325.5 2044.6
Netherlands643.1 411.7 1052.3
Germany261.3 421.7 681.5
Spain261.3 190.8 451.0
Italy80.4 301.2 380.8
Other Countries391.9 371.5 761.7
         
Total2,076100.0 2,407100.0 4,483100.0
         

Foodstuffs and products of agriculture, forestry & fishing were the main products transported internationally in 2013 and these accounted for almost half of all goods transported to and from the Republic of Ireland (see table 9).

 

Comparison with 2012 Results

The weight of goods carried by road on Irish registered vehicles increased marginally to 109 million tonnes between 2012 and 2013. The weight of goods carried by vehicles owned by transport companies increased by 4.4% to 60.9 million tonnes, However, this was partially offset by a fall of 3.6% to 47.9 million in the total weight of goods carried by all other goods vehicles (see table L).

The share of goods transported by vehicles owned by transport companies increased from 54% in 2012 to 56% in 2013 (see table L).

Overall road freight activity, as measured by tonne-km, fell by 7.7% to 9.1 billion. Vehicles owned by transport companies saw a decrease in activity of 7.5% to 6.3 billion while activity for all other vehicles fell by 8% to 2.8 billion (see table L).

The weight of goods carried by vehicles involved in the delivery of goods to households increased by 28%. Other notable increases were for those involved in the categories other farm produce carried from farms (+14%) and deliveries to wholesalers (+12.8%). On the other hand, the largest decrease occurred for vehicles involved in import/export work where the weight of goods carried fell by 14.2%.   

Table L: Road freight activity, a comparison between 2012 and 2013
       
CategoryTonne-km Tonnes carried
20122013Change20122013Change
 millionmillion%thousandthousand%
       
Total9,8959,138-7.7108,078108,8310.7
       
Business of owner      
Transport 6,8626,347-7.558,33760,8984.4
Other3,0332,791-8.049,74147,933-3.6
       
Main use of vehicle      
Hire or reward7,6156,969-8.567,87969,5712.5
Own account2,2812,169-4.940,19939,260-2.3
       
Journey      
National 7,3447,139-2.8101,154102,7611.6
International2,5511,999-21.66,9246,070-12.3
       
Main type of work       
Import/export work2,9732,374-20.114,23512,211-14.2
Carriage of livestock1071102.81,3671,261-7.8
Carriage of other farm produce from farms28033519.64,8025,47614.0
Carriage of fertilisers, feeding stuffs, etc. to farms3483768.05,0515,4187.3
Delivery of goods to road works or building sites995978-1.729,29130,5764.4
Delivery of goods to retail outlets1,4471,296-10.413,91013,378-3.8
Delivery of goods to wholesalers82596517.07,4158,36212.8
Delivery of materials and fuels to factories875818-6.59,5179,361-1.6
Delivery of goods to households17421020.72,9793,80427.7
Other work1,8711,675-10.519,51118,983-2.7
       

Detailed Tables

Table 1 Transport activity classified by business of owner and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Business of owner of vehicleTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
Transport06,3476,347 060,89860,898
Manufacturing industry6470647 14,975014,975
Mining & quarrying (incl. sand & gravel merchants)1200120 4,97604,976
Creameries & agricultural cooperative societies22022 3710371
Manufacture of food & feeding stuffs1430143 2,11002,110
Manufacture of drink & tobacco26026 1820182
Manufacture of glass, cement & clay products1800180 5,61905,619
Other manufacturing1560156 1,71701,717
Building & construction1390139 4,25404,254
Distribution9265071,433 11,7487,53819,287
Agriculture & livestock dealing14537181 2,2933562,649
Local authorities74074 2,44702,447
Other23878317 3,5447784,323
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 2 Transport activity classified by vehicle capacity, national/international journeys and main use of vehicle, 2013
        
Type of journey and vehicle capacityTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
National journeys       
vehicle capacity (kg)       
Up to 5,0008236118 1,5963691,965
5,001 - 10,0008183164 2,1028572,959
10,001 - 15,0008885173 1,7729392,711
15,001 - 20,000294252546 5,7074,98410,691
20,001 - 25,00042192234 9242,1483,072
25,001 - 35,0008592,4493,308 18,23534,88753,122
Over 35,0005991,9972,596 8,06020,18128,241
Total2,0455,0947,139 38,39664,365102,761
        
International journeys       
vehicle capacity (kg)       
Up to 5,000214 25530
5,001 - 10,000223 16421
10,001 - 15,00031315 2079100
15,001 - 20,00075561 76162238
20,001 - 25,0007240246 50446496
25,001 - 35,00059810870 3972,5172,914
Over 35,00044755799 2801,9922,272
Total1241,8751,999 8645,2066,070
        
All journeys       
Vehicle capacity (kg)       
Up to 5,0008437122 1,6213741,995
5,001 - 10,0008384167 2,1188612,979
10,001 - 15,0009197188 1,7921,0192,811
15,001 - 20,000301306607 5,7825,14710,929
20,001 - 25,00049432481 9742,5943,568
25,001 - 35,0009193,2594,178 18,63237,40456,036
Over 35,0006432,7523,395 8,34022,17230,512
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 3 Transport activity classified by business of owner, unladen weight and main use of vehicle, 2013
        
Business of owner and unladen weight of vehicleTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
Transport       
Unladen weight (kg)       
  
2,000 - 5,00007979 0788788
5,001 - 7,50007272 0678678
7,501 - 10,0000306306 03,2913,291
10,001 - 12,50001,8781,878 019,48119,481
Over 12,50004,0124,012 036,66136,661
        
Total06,3476,347 060,89860,898
        
Other businesses       
Unladen weight (kg)       
        
2,000 - 5,00015524179 3,2682693,537
5,001 - 7,500761490 1,5631561,718
7,501 - 10,00026460324 4,2416264,867
10,001 - 12,500526162688 10,9872,77213,758
Over 12,5001,1483621,510 19,2014,85024,051
        
Total2,1696222,791 39,2608,67347,933
        
All businesses       
Unladen weight (kg)       
        
2,000 - 5,000155103258 3,2681,0564,325
5,001 - 7,5007685161 1,5638332,396
7,501 - 10,000264367631 4,2413,9188,159
10,001 - 12,5005262,0402,566 10,98722,25333,239
Over 12,5001,1484,3755,522 19,20141,51160,712
        
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 4 Transport activity classified by region of origin1 and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Region of originTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
Border265609873 5,3275,62610,953
Midland180276456 3,3172,8266,142
West204416620 4,0034,2978,300
Dublin3761,7532,130 5,87020,19026,060
Mid-East240427667 5,0975,90911,006
Mid-West245475719 4,0795,9199,997
South-East2709481,218 5,7098,91314,622
South-West3139671,280 5,37812,71018,088
Other751,0981,173 4813,1823,663
        
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
1 See Appendix B      
Table 5 Transport activity classified by business of owner, length of haul and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Business of owner of vehicle and length of haulTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
Transport       
Length of haul (km)       
Up to 1003535 06,2616,261
11-250187187 010,84410,844
26-500411411 011,23811,238
51-15001,5991,599 017,70817,708
151-50003,0503,050 013,66913,669
Over 50001,0651,065 01,1771,177
        
Total06,3476,347 060,89860,898
        
        
Other businesses       
Length of haul (km)       
Up to 1039544 5,8718836,754
11-2519135226 10,9141,95012,864
26-5028469353 8,1582,00410,162
51-150756199955 9,7292,48912,218
151-5008422701,112 4,5021,3005,801
Over 5005644100 8747134
        
Total2,1696222,791 39,2608,67347,933
        
        
All businesses       
Length of haul (km)       
Up to 10394180 5,8717,14413,015
11-25191222413 10,91412,79423,708
26-50284480764 8,15813,24221,400
51-1507561,7982,554 9,72920,19829,927
151-5008423,3204,162 4,50214,96919,471
Over 500561,1091,165 871,2241,311
        
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 6 Transport activity classified by main type of work and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Main type of work done by vehicle Tonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
Import/export work1692,3062,374 43211,77912,211
Carriage of livestock3773110 6076541,261
Carriage of other farm produce from farms107228335 1,7563,7205,476
Carriage of fertilisers, feeding stuffs etc. to farms115260376 1,9443,4735,418
Delivery of goods to road works or building sites417561978 14,34916,22730,576
Delivery of goods to retail outlets4358611,296 4,9898,38913,378
Delivery of goods to wholesalers162803965 1,5126,8508,362
Delivery of materials and fuels to factories111707818 1,7677,5949,361
Delivery of goods to households17534210 3,3304743,804
Other work5401,1351,675 8,57310,41018,983
        
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
1Includes work done to and from ports as well as roll-on/roll-off and cross-border work
Table 7 Transport activity classified by national/international journeys and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Type of journeyTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
National journeys2,0455,0947,139 38,39664,365102,761
        
International journeys       
Goods loaded in Ireland49777826 3832,0252,407
Goods unloaded in Ireland39661701 3041,7732,076
Cross trade29379408 44821865
Cabotage65864 134588721
Total international1241,8751,999 8645,2066,070
        
Total journeys2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 8 Transport activity classified by national/international journeys, quarter and main use of vehicle, 2013
National/international journeys and quarterTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
OwnHire orTotal OwnHire orTotal
accountreward accountreward
        
National journeys       
January - March4921,2361,728 8,51515,65724,172
April - June5861,3781,964 11,01918,00729,026
July - September5171,3971,914 10,51917,58128,101
October - December4501,0831,533 8,34313,12021,463
Total2,0455,0947,139 38,39664,365102,761
        
International journeys       
January - March31534565 1891,3791,567
April - June54535588 3891,3881,777
July - September26402428 1851,2121,397
October - December13404417 1021,2281,329
Total1241,8751,999 8645,2066,070
        
All journeys       
January - March5231,7702,293 8,70417,03625,739
April - June6401,9122,552 11,40819,39430,802
July - September5431,7992,342 10,70418,79329,498
October - December4631,4881,950 8,44414,34822,792
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 9 Transport activity classified by group of goods and national/international journeys, 2013
Group of goods (NST 2007)Tonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
NationalInternationalTotal NationalInternationalTotal
journeys journeys journeys journeys
        
Products of agriculture, forestry & fishing7942461,04010,81290311,715
Coal & natural gas53106372532757
Quarry products, metal ores & peat7743080424,16932424,493
Foodstuffs1,6177782,39518,1172,04220,159
Textiles & leather10410114999301,029
Wood, pulp & paper451515024,0552364,291
Coke & refined petroleum products743537968,8893549,243
Chemicals & plastics3461014474,3332304,563
Other non-metallic mineral products5285358113,26722913,495
Metal products (exc. machinery & equipment)212492621,9812172,198
Machinery & equipment146832291,6431831,826
Furniture & other manufactured goods98381361,0771121,189
Secondary raw materials & waste214122263,240293,268
Other goods1,0584841,5429,4541,15010,604
  
Total7,1391,9999,138 102,7616,070108,831
        
Table 10 Transport activity classified by group of goods and main use of vehicle, 2013
Group of goods (NST 2007)Tonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
OwnHire orTotal OwnHire orTotal
AccountReward AccountReward
        
Products of agriculture, forestry & fishing2467941,0403,5778,13811,715
Coal & natural gas164763284472757
Quarry products, metal ores & peat28452080410,70213,79124,493
Foodstuffs4091,9862,3955,46614,69320,159
Textiles & leather35791143586711,029
Wood, pulp & paper734285028463,4444,291
Coke & refined petroleum products3594377963,9705,2739,243
Chemicals & plastics623854476143,9494,563
Other non-metallic mineral products2503315817,5255,97013,495
Metal products (exc. machinery & equipment)462162625701,6282,198
Machinery & equipment54175229 7501,0761,826
Furniture & other manufactured goods371001365136761,189
Secondary raw materials & waste13690226 2,0481,2203,268
Other goods1611,3811,542 2,0358,56910,604
 
Total2,1696,9699,138 39,26069,571108,831
        
Table 11 Average number of vehicles classified by unladen weight and year of manufacture of vehicle, 2013
 
Year of manufacture of vehicleUnladen weight (kg)Total
2,000 -5,001 -7,501 -10,001 -Over
5,0007,50010,00012,50012,500
       
20131,152551071684171,899
20122,36070961694403,134
20112,42675731754353,185
20102,042741111042782,608
20091,4701661351383052,214
20085,8873273615201,0928,188
20077,9373544386771,38310,789
20066,6114336269901,2639,923
20054,5773994929551,0377,460
20043,6804053165836965,679
20033,8763304004834935,583
2002 or before9,2612,1141,7951,8591,27716,305
       
Total51,2784,8034,9506,8209,11676,967
       
Table 12 Transport activity classified by year of manufacture and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Year of manufacture of vehicleTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
        
2013121467588 1,4442,5213,965
201287561649 1,1263,2044,330
201197494592 1,2883,7315,019
201092277370 1,2822,0433,324
2009101229330 1,1651,8883,053
20082917861,077 4,6227,08511,707
20073438331,176 6,5069,23015,736
20062901,0441,334 5,73511,19616,931
20052258611,086 4,2879,28813,576
2004108496603 2,6026,1038,705
2003 or before4139211,335 9,20513,28122,484
 
Total2,1696,9699,13839,26069,571108,831
        
Table 13 Transport activity classified by body type and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Type of vehicle and body type Tonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
         
Rigid/Rigid with trailer      
Platform or sided9264156 1,6911,1362,827
Tipper231239470 8,8739,38418,257
Tanker or other bulk carrier20620226 3,1504943,644
Insulated or refrigerated box9040130 1,5005002,000
Box or van body162165327 2,1901,5773,767
Livestock carrier203252 393380772
Other223255477 5,5993,6959,295
        
Total1,0258141,83923,39517,16740,562
        
Articulated       
Platform or sided117685802 1,1085,8366,944
Tipper227663890 4,93410,46015,394
Tanker or other bulk carrier2998811,181 3,81011,58615,396
Insulated or refrigerated box1151,2331,348 9895,6826,671
Box or van body67640708 5913,3843,976
Livestock carrier214869 285283568
Other2972,0052,302 4,14815,17219,320
        
Total1,1446,1557,29915,86552,40568,269
        
All vehicles       
Platform or sided209749958 2,7996,9729,771
Tipper4599021,360 13,80719,84533,652
Tanker or other bulk carrier5059011,407 6,96012,08119,040
Insulated or refrigerated box2051,2731,478 2,4896,1828,671
Box or van body2298051,035 2,7824,9617,743
Livestock carrier4279121 6776631,340
Other5202,2592,779 9,74718,86828,614
        
Total2,1696,9699,13839,26069,571108,831
        
Table 14 Vehicle kilometres travelled classified by business of owner and main use of vehicle, 2013
 
Business of owner of vehicleLoaded vehicle kilometres (million) Empty vehicle kilometres (million) Total vehicle kilometres (million)
OwnHireTotal OwnHireTotal OwnHireTotal
accountreward accountreward accountreward
 
Transport0414414 0204204 0618618
Manufacturing industry75075 46046 1220122
Mining & quarrying (incl. sand & gravel merchants)606 606 12012
Creameries & agricultural cooperative societies303 202 505
Manufacture of food & feeding stuffs 25025 11011 36036
Manufacture of drink & tobacco202 000 303
Manufacture of glass, cement & clay products11011 10010 21021
Other manufacturing28028 17017 45045
Building & construction22022 18018 39039
Distribution17848226 8828116 26676342
Agriculture & livestock dealing21324 16319 37643
Local authorities707 707 14014
Other411960 18523 592483
Total345484829 193240433 5387241,261
            
Table 15 Transport activity classified by national/international journeys, axle configuration and main use of vehicle, 2013
        
Type of journey and axle configurationTonne-km (million) Tonnes carried (thousand)
Own accountHire or rewardTotal Own accountHire or rewardTotal
       
National journeys       
Rigid
2 axle385252637 7,0532,6879,740
3 axle29992391 5,1601,5666,726
Other rigid289314602 10,36911,54221,911
        
Rigid + trailer301011315031,1081,611
        
Articulated       
3 axle202243 329390720
4 axle157332489 3,5464,8068,352
5 axle3831,8432,226 4,93218,30423,236
Other articulated4832,1382,621 6,50423,96230,467
 
Total2,0455,0947,13938,39664,365102,761
        
International journeys       
Rigid
2 axle71017 6343105
3 axle6310 721486
Other rigid51015 14671217
        
Rigid + trailer3333629138167
        
Articulated
3 axle044 01111
4 axle113344 55112167
5 axle581,0841,142 2072,5552,762
Other articulated32699732 2932,2632,556
        
Total1241,8751,9998645,2066,070
       
        
All journeys       
Rigid
2 axle392262654 7,1162,7309,845
3 axle30695401 5,2321,5796,811
Other rigid294323617 10,51511,61322,128
        
Rigid + trailer331331665321,2451,778
        
Articulated       
3 axle202646 329402731
4 axle168365533 3,6004,9188,518
5 axle4412,9273,368 5,13820,86025,998
Other articulated5152,8373,352 6,79726,22533,022
 
Total2,1696,9699,13839,26069,571108,831
        
Table 16 Transport activity classified by region of origin and region of destination, 2013
 
Region of origin1Region of destination1Total
BorderMidlandWestDublinMid-EastMid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestNorthernOther
Irelandcountries
Tonne-km (million)
            
Border2835069147422761244165873
Midland5795316320296645742456
West502325212345274628125620
Dublin218139209414184146252334282062,130
Mid-East593957138174245666351667
Mid-West302750942821091140444719
South-East4444431937880380208101391,218
South-West152831152501201945950971,280
Northern Ireland66421007010358
Other countries93183728245241094894501,115
            
Total8564697831,6276656891,2631,489751,2239,138
            
 Tonnes carried (thousand)
            
Border7,1094194501,191570121243755072310,953
Midland5822,889300668254433648216331186,142
West6002415,9655522433062041583298,300
Dublin1,7031,24495613,4824,1307071,6611,30315771726,060
Mid-East9985312922,8495,1981405612861813211,006
Mid-West1182113704831846,0258791,65911579,997
South-East2153551921,2528898468,8581,7642822314,622
South-West481341595881841,0931,53814,237010718,088
Northern Ireland1222818105022001125413
Other countries567691126591014017162141,4553,250
            
Total12,0626,1228,81321,82911,7529,71314,78419,7614273,568108,831
            
1See Appendix B
Table 17 Vehicle kilometres travelled classified by region of origin and region of destination, 2013
 
Region of origin1Region of destination1Total
BorderMidlandWestDublinMid-EastMid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestNorthern IrelandOther countries
 Vehicle kilometres (million)
 
Border5478268552112129
Midland81851456741370
West855218665403108
Dublin2715199229173030215275
Mid-East8562733311805107
Mid-West46716339111904110
South-East5752911116521010165
South-West244267192310606198
Northern Ireland11020000105
Other Countries92321519513793
 
Total127691102711091081662006951,261
            
1 See Appendix B
Table 18 Transport activity classified by country of origin and country of destination, 2013
 
Country of originCountry of destinationTotal
FranceGermanyIrelandItalyNetherlandsSpainUnited KingdomOther EUOther countries1
 Tonne-km (million)
           
France26687154720138
Germany2336020294278
Ireland130527,13950433045633327,965
Italy301730080031
Netherlands29570302560101
Spain705200030062
United Kingdom139419771320372680
Other EU0341140153067
Other countries1001200040016
           
Total159827,84069604879155359,138
           
 Tonnes carried (thousand)
           
France487282766100178
Germany513260403211292
Ireland13242102,7613041192,1072414105,168
Italy508110050028
Netherlands4196401803860148
Spain602600030035
United Kingdom19141,84231471,1891323,103
Other EU0532250175065
Other countries100710030213
           
Total175101104,8375483333,4597019108,831
           
           
1Includes any country which is not a member state of the EU
Table 19 Vehicle kilometres classified by country of origin and country of destination, 2013
           
Country of originCountry of destinationTotal
FranceGermanyIrelandItalyNetherlandsSpainUnited KingdomOther EUOther countries1
 Vehicle kilometres (million)
           
France10600030011
Germany0130002007
Ireland731,10033240221,163
Italy0011001003
Netherlands0140001006
Spain0030000004
United Kingdom1040011171062
Other EU0020001005
Other countries10010000001
           
Total1061,16055366421,261
           
           

Background Notes

Survey Methodology

Introduction

This report contains the results of the ‘National Survey of Transport Goods by Road’ which is conducted on a weekly basis throughout the year.

Legal framework

This is a statutory survey conducted under the Statistics (Road Freight) Order, 2012 (SI No 583 of 2012) to meet Ireland’s EU requirements under Council Regulation (EC) 70/2012 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road.

Scope of the survey

This report covers the survey period beginning the first week of January 2013 and ending the last week of December 2013. Irish registered vehicles that come within the scope of the survey must meet the following criteria:

  1. belong to the motor taxation class ‘Goods Vehicles’
  2. have a valid motor tax disk during the relevant survey week. However, in practice, as the survey sample was selected several weeks before the survey week, vehicles where the motor tax had expired no more than three months previously were also included in the scope.
  3. have an unladen weight of two tonnes and over
  4. have a vehicular body type appropriate for carrying freight (see appendix D for a list of vehicular types that have been excluded)

No other vehicles are covered. In particular this means that vehicles in other motor taxation classes such as agricultural tractors, general haulage tractors, dumpers and exempt vehicles (i.e. vehicles exempt from liability to pay road tax which includes state owned, diplomatic, fire services or disabled drivers) are not included in the survey.

All activity of goods vehicles within the scope of the survey engaged in the carriage of goods on the public road, either on own account or for hire or reward, are covered.  Excluded, therefore, is activity such as site work off the public road or work of a mainly service nature (e.g. carriage of personnel to or from places of work). 

Sampling frame

The sampling frame for the Survey comes from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s database on vehicles taxed as goods vehicles.

The sampling frame/register is updated every eight weeks during the year with information from the Department regarding vehicles:

  1. being registered for the first time
  2. having their motor taxation class changed
  3. being formally scrapped
  4. having their registered owner changed. 

The information required of each vehicle on the register for survey purposes is as follows:

a)     year of manufacture of the vehicle

b)     date of first registration of the vehicle

c)    an indication as to whether the vehicle has been taxed for the carriage of goods on own account or for hire or reward

d)     the unladen weight of the vehicle

e)    name and address of the person on whose name the vehicle was most recently taxed (referred to as the owner of the vehicle in the following paragraphs).

Periodicity

The results are published on an annual basis.

Sample Design

Information is collected in respect of one week’s transport activity for a random sample of goods vehicles.   Every week a sample of vehicles is selected from the register. A survey questionnaire is then issued to the registered owners of these vehicles by post, seeking information on the vehicle and an account of the vehicle’s activity during that week. For the purposes of sample selection, vehicles are divided into 20 strata.  These strata were created on the basis of four criteria:

  • the unladen weight of the vehicle
  • year of first registration of the vehicle
  • whether the vehicle had been taxed for the carriage of goods on own account or for hire or reward
  • year of manufacture

A full description of the 20 strata used is given in Appendix C, along with the estimated average vehicle population in each stratum. These strata are specifically used to cater for the following in the sample of vehicles selected:

a)      the tendency of vehicles with higher unladen weights to be involved in greater transport activity

b)      possible under-representation in the sample of vehicles registered for the first time during the survey year

c)      possible varying response between vehicles which had been taxed for the carriage of goods on own account on the one hand or for hire or reward on the other

d)      the likelihood of newer vehicles being used more intensively.

In 2012, seven strata turned out to be null strata (i.e. no vehicles in the population fell into those seven categories). However, the strata were retained to keep the design consistent with previous years.

A random sample was drawn from each of the thirteen remaining strata. Different sampling proportions were applied in each stratum to maximise sampling accuracy for the overall sample.  However, these rates remained effectively constant from one week to another to ensure that the sampling remained as consistent as possible throughout the year. 

See Table M

Response Rates

Out of a total of 22,925 vehicles surveyed, a satisfactory return was received in respect of 11,219 vehicles, representing an overall response rate of 49%.  However, this rate varied across the differing survey strata.  Response rates broken down by the unladen weight and the year of manufacture of vehicle are presented in Table N.

See Table N

 Respondent Burden

As part of the survey respondents were asked to record how many minutes it took them to complete the questionnaire. Of the 11,219 satisfactory returns to the survey just 5,070 (45%) answered this question.  Of this subset of respondents 1,614 (32%) reported that it took 10 minutes or less to complete the survey form. Only 101 of these respondents (2%) reported that it took more than an hour to complete the form.  On average it took respondents 22 minutes to complete the survey form. The individual response burden, broken down by main use of vehicle and unladen weight of vehicle category, is given in table O.

See Table O

Compilation and Grossing

Survey returns are processed on a quarterly basis and in each year the results obtained for each of the four quarters are combined to provide the annual results contained in this report. The same processing method is used for each quarter and this involves stringent checking of returns including comparisons with activity levels in previous quarters.

For the aggregation of survey returns to the level of the goods vehicle fleet as a whole, the 20 strata in the sample design are used. For each stratum, for each quarter, the average number of goods vehicles in the national fleet is estimated from the data provided by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.  This average is then divided by the number of survey returns to provide a vehicle grossing factor.

The weekly activity measures (tonnes carried, tonne-kilometres done etc.) for each vehicle return are multiplied by 13 to expand them to quarterly levels and then by the relevant vehicle grossing factor to obtain the quarterly estimate covering all vehicles.  The estimates for each quarter are then added together to provide the annual results.

It should be borne in mind, therefore, that the total fleet size estimated in the annual results is an average of the number of goods vehicles potentially or actually involved in road freight transport activity throughout the year.  It is not a snapshot of the number of vehicles taxed as goods vehicles in the national fleet at any particular point in time.

 

Changes to Commodity Classification

In 2007, the standard goods classification for transport statistics, NST/R, was revised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).  A new version, NST 2007, was introduced to be consistent with the revised NACE (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community).  This new goods classification came into force in 2008.

Accordingly, the goods commodities collected and published in the “National Survey of Transport of Goods by Road” have been revised in line with this new goods classification, effective from 2009 onwards.  The new list commodities, and their NST 2007 Division, are given in Appendix A.  Unfortunately, this revision means that the results by commodity for 2013 are not directly comparable with 2008 or previous years.

 

Reliability of Results

Estimation of survey results from data relating to only one week’s activity for a sample of vehicles introduces a statistical variability which would not be present if a full year’s data had been collected for every vehicle. This means that the survey results cannot be taken as accurate to the full degree shown in this report.

This variability is expressed by means of the coefficient of variation. This coefficient gives the relative size of the “sampling error” (variability) present in an estimate compared with the estimate itself. In general, estimates can be said to have a relative precision of twice their coefficient of variation. The estimated coefficients of variation for the overall tonnes carried, tonne-kilometres and vehicle kilometres estimates are shown in Table P below.

In general, the more detailed the classification provided the greater the coefficient of variation of the estimates.  In the derivation of the results the assumption is made that non-respondents have similar characteristics and activity levels to those of respondents in the same stratification cell.  This assumption, which is a standard one in surveys such as this, may result in some degree of bias being introduced into the results. Moreover, although every effort is made to ensure that the returns received are correct in all respects it is inevitable that some minor non-sampling errors remain undetected.

See Table P

Definitions Used

Type of Journey

Two basic categories of journey are distinguished – split delivery/collection journeys and end-to-end journeys.

  • End-to-end journeys are those which have no intermediate collection or delivery points between their origin and destination.

  • Split delivery/collection journeys involved the depositing and/or collection of part of the load carried at one or more stopping points along the way. A common example of such a journey would be the delivery of beer to public houses and the collection of empties.

Tonnes Carried

  • This is the weight of goods (including empties) carried inclusive of packaging etc. but excluding the weight of demountable containers (if any) in which the goods are carried.

  • For split delivery/collection journeys tonnes carried are taken as the weight of goods at the start of the journey plus the weight of any other goods collected during the journey.

Tonne-Kilometres (tonne-km)

  • For end-to-end journeys this is the result of multiplying the weight of goods carried by the distance they were carried.

  • For split delivery/collection journeys more complex formulae were used.  These involved multiplying the distance travelled with a load by an estimate of the average weight of load carried.

Road Cabotage Transport

Road cabotage transport is the carriage of goods by road by Irish registered goods vehicles between two places (a place of loading/embarkment and a place of unloading/disembarkment) located in the same country provided that this country is not the Republic of Ireland

Cross Trade

Cross trade is the carriage of goods by road by Irish registered goods vehicles between two places (a place of loading/embarkment and a place of unloading/disembarkment) located in two different countries, provided that neither of these countries is the Republic of Ireland.  It may involve transit through one or more additional countries.

International Road Transport

International transport is the carriage of goods by road by Irish registered goods vehicles between two places (a place of loading/embarkment and a place of unloading/disembarkment) at least one of which is not located in the Republic of Ireland.  It may involve transit through one or more additional countries.

National Transport

National transport is the carriage of goods by road by Irish registered goods vehicles between two places (a place of loading/embarkment and a place of unloading/disembarkment) both of which are located in the Republic of Ireland.

 

Appendix A

Structure of the Standard Goods Classification for Transport Statistics  (NST 2007)

01 Products of agriculture, forestry and fishing
  Cereals
  Potatoes
  Sugar Beet
  Other fresh fruit and vegetables
  Products of forestry and logging
  Live animals
  Raw milk
  Other raw materials of animal origin
  Fish and other fishing products

02 Coal and natural gas
  Coal
  Crude petroleum
  Natural gas
        
03 Quarry products, metal ores, peat
  Stone 
  Sand
  Gravel
  Iron ores
  Non-ferrous metal ores
  Chemical and natural fertilizer minerals
  Peat
        
04 Foodstuffs
  Meat and meat products
  Processed fish products      
  Processed fruit and vegetables      
  Dairy products      
  Beverages      
  Prepared animal feeds      
        
05 Textiles and leather       
  Textiles      
  Leather and leather products      
          
06 Wood, pulp, paper       
  Products of wood (except furniture)      
  Pulp, paper and paper products      
  Printed matter and recorded media      
        
07 Coke and refined petroleum products       
  Petrol and diesel      
  Liquid petroleum gas      
  Coke      
        
08 Chemicals and plastics       
  Basic chemical products      
  Nitrogen compounds and fertilizers (except natural fertilizers)      
  Plastic and plastic products      
  Rubber and rubber products      
  Pharmaceuticals and parachemicals      
        
09 Other non-metallic mineral products       
  Glass and glass products      
  Cement, lime and plaster      
  Other construction materials      
        
10 Metal products (except machinery and equipment)       
  Basic iron and steel      
  Structural metal products      
  Non-ferrous metals and products      
        
11 Machinery and equipment       
  Electric machinery and apparatus      
  Office machinery and computers      
  Domestic appliances      
  Electronic components      
  Machine tools and parts      
        
13 Furniture and other manufactured goods       
  Furniture      
  Other manufactured goods      
        
14 Secondary raw materials and waste       
  Household and municipal waste      
  Other waste and secondary raw materials

NST 2007 contains 20 separate Divisions, numbered 01 to 20 respectively. Divisions 01 to 11 and 13 to 14 are given in the commodities above. Divisions 12 - Transport equipment, 15 - Mail and parcels, 16 - Equipment used in the transport of goods, 17 – Removals, 18 – Mixed goods, 19 – Unidentifiable goods and 20 – Other goods not classified elsewhere have been grouped together under the commodity heading Other goods in this publication.

 

Appendix B

The NUTS 3 Regions of Ireland and composition

Border
  Counties of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo.

Midland
  Counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath.

West
  Galway City and County, Mayo and Roscommon.

Dublin
  Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin.

Mid-East
  Counties of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.

Mid-West
  Limerick City and County, Clare and North Tipperary.

South-East
  Waterford City and County, Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary and Wexford.

South-West
  Cork City and County and County of Kerry.
 

See Appendix C

See Appendix D

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Table M: Sampling proportions by age and unladen weight of vehicle, 2013
     
Year of manufactureUnladen weightTotal
2 - 5 tonnes5 - 10 tonnes10 tonnes
and over
Sampling proportion %
Before 20055368927
2005 - 20099619232
After 200911527828
     
Total8468930
     
Table N: Response rates by age and unladen weight of vehicle, 2013
      
Year of manufactureUnladen weightTotal
2 - 5 tonnes5 - 10 tonnes10 tonnes and over
Forms%Forms%Forms%Forms%
 issuedResponse issuedResponse issuedResponse issuedResponse
    
Before 2005828631,955554,801457,58449
2005 - 20092,353602,085507,3014311,73947
After 20091,04263500532,060473,60253
        
Total4,223614,5405214,1624422,92549
Table O: Response burden by main use and unladen weight of vehicle, 2013
        
Main use of vehicle and unladen weightResponse burden (minutes)
1-1011-2021-3031-4545-60> 60TotalAverage
  
Own account    
2 - 5 tonnes13118110941332151626
5 - 10 tonnes24725013657312274322
Over 10 tonnes4045182298847171,30321
Total782949474186111602,56222
         
Hire or reward        
2 - 5 tonnes283315115-9221
5 - 10 tonnes135149742915640821
Over 10 tonnes66973931915096352,00822
Total832921408190116412,50821
         
Total        
2 - 5 tonnes15921412452382160826
5 - 10 tonnes3823992108646281,15122
Over 10 tonnes1,0731,257548238143523,31121
Total1,6141,8708823762271015,07022
         
Table P: Accuracy indicators for road freight activity, 2013
         
Unladen weight (tonnes)Tonne-km Tonnes carried Vehicle kilometres
SurveyCoefficient SurveyCoefficient SurveyCoefficient
estimateof variation estimateof variation estimateof variation
         
 million% thousand% million%
         
2 - 52589 4,3257 3293
5 - 7.51616 2,3965 683
7.5 - 106315 8,1595 1242
10 - 12.52,5662 33,2392 2581
Over 12.55,5222 60,7122 4831
         
Total9,1381 108,8311 1,2611
         
Appendix C 
Definition of Strata used in Sample Selection and in the Grossing up of Survey Returns 
        
Stratum NumberVehicle CharacteristicsEstimated Average Vehicle Population 2013
Year of ManufactureUnladen WeightTaxation use1Year of First Registration
    
1Before 20052-5 tonnesImmaterialImmaterial16,818 
2"5-10 tonnesOwn Account"5,362 
3""Hire or Reward"0 
4"10 tonnes or overOwn Account"5,389 
5""Hire or Reward"0 
62005-20092-5 tonnesImmaterial"25,014 
7"5-10 tonnesOwn Account"3,428 
8""Hire or Reward"0 
9"10 tonnes or overOwn Account"7,915 
10""Hire or Reward"0 
112010 or later2-5 tonnesImmaterialBefore 20125,667 
12"""2012 or later3,784 
13"5-10 tonnesOwn AccountBefore 2012616 
14"""2012 or later345 
15""Hire or RewardBefore 20120 
16"""2012 or later0 
17"10 tonnes or overOwn AccountBefore 20121,319 
18"""2012 or later1,310 
19""Hire or RewardBefore 20120 
20"""2012 or later0 
        
     Total:76,967 
1 This is the use (viz. carriage for hire or reward or own account carriage) stated by the declarant when taxing the vehicle.
Appendix D
Goods Vehicle Category Types
CodeBody TypeGoods Vehicle Population1 2013
AllSurvey Scope
2Station Wagon/Jeep6430
3Minibus150
5Bus220
6Van27,95427,954
7Open Lorry & Container254254
8Open Lorry only1,1021,102
13Travelling Machine/Workshop460
14Mobile Shop880
15Hoist/Crane200
22Low Loader1414
23Tanker361361
24Concrete Mixer/Concrete Pump7878
25Horse Box/Animal Transporter952952
26Dumper11
30Refuse Collector531531
31Gritter/Chip Spreader10
35Adapted Saloon10
37Other3,7263,726
40Hatchback20
48Pick Up641641
49Motor Caravan00
50Van with Side Windows7474
51Other light goods4444
52Box van2,0042,004
53Luton Van289289
54Insulated/Refrigerated Van651651
55Glass Carrier99
56Other Van1515
58Drop-Side Lorry480480
59Hopper Truck11
60Recovery Vehicle1280
61Solid Bulk Carrier77
63Car Transporter3434
64Other Goods Heavy3,7043,704
69Road Maintenance Vehicle20
70Road Tar Sprayer20
71Road Marking Machine10
75Articulated Tractor Unit10,55010,550
76Jeep14,6190
77Estate8680
78Liftback10
81Rigid3,7173,717
82Crew Cab10,19210,192
83Rescue Vehicle20
85Well Driller/Drilling Machine10
86Curtain Sider962962
87Tipper1,8051,805
88Skip Loader173173
89Telescopic Handler20
90Drain Cleaner70
91Security Van/Truck8787
92MPV90
95Chassis Cab6,5566,556
 TOTAL:93,44776,967 
1 This annual population estimate is an average of four quarterly population estimates. Vehicles under two tonnes unladen weight or with motor tax expired for more than 3 months are not included in these estimates.
 

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