Chapter 3: Road Freight
Chapter 3: Road Freight
Road Freight
1. Introduction
1.1 This chapter provides information about road freight lifted by UK-registered heavy goods vehicles (HGVs: over 3.5 tonnes gross weight), such as the weight of goods lifted in Scotland by origin and destination, the lengths of haul, the destinations within the UK and Europe, and the types of commodity lifted.
1.2 A change in methodology by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2003 Continuous Survey of Road Goods Transport has resulted in a discontinuity in the series. Therefore road freight transported within the UK from 2004 onwards is not comparable with earlier years. Revisions have also been made to figures for the years 2011 to 2016.
2. Main Points
Good Lifted and Distance
2.1 In 2019, an estimated 97.8 million tonnes of goods were lifted within Scotland by UK HGVs and transported to destinations within Scotland. About 19.1 million tonnes of goods from Scotland were delivered to destinations elsewhere in the UK, and around 20.7 million tonnes were brought into Scotland from elsewhere in the UK. In comparison, the volume of international road freight by UK HGVs travelling to and from Scotland is very small: less than 1 million tonnes in 2019. (Table 3.1)
2.2 Most road freight journeys are 100 kilometres or less in length: 21% of tonnes lifted by road in Scotland in 2019 were carried a distance of no more than 25 kilometres, and 24% travelled over 50 km but no more than 100 km. The average journey distance, which is calculated by dividing the total tonne-kilometres by the total tonnes lifted, was 118 km. (Table 3.2)
Originating in Scotland
2.3 Goods moved on journeys originating in Scotland with a destination in Scotland accounted for around 8.4 billion tonne-kilometres in 2019. The overall total, including journeys with destinations elsewhere in the UK and abroad, was around 14.1 billion tonne-kms, a decrease of 3% on 2018. (Table 3.3)
Entering Scotland
2.4 In 2019, 21 million tonnes of goods entered Scotland on UK HGVs from the rest of the UK. 97% of these came from England. Around 70 per cent of the goods entering came from the North West (33%), Yorkshire and Humber (16%) and North East (14%) regions of England. Fewer goods leave Scotland for other UK countries (19 million tonnes) than enter from them but the proportions going to and coming from different areas are similar (Table 3.6).
2.5 In 2019, 'food products including beverages and tobacco' was the largest single category of goods lifted in Scotland, which remained in Scotland, accounting for 17.7 million tonnes out of the total of 97.8 million tonnes. (Table 3.4)
Destination
2.6 In 2019, UK-registered HGVs carried an estimated 391 thousand tonnes of goods from Scotland to countries outwith the UK, and 196 thousand tonnes from foreign countries into Scotland. Of goods leaving Scotland for abroad, carried by UK road hauliers, 46% went to France and 18% to the Netherlands. (Table 3.7)
2.7 In 2019, around 4% of goods leaving the UK lifted by UK HGVs originated in Scotland. (Table 3.5)
2.8 Generally in the period from 2015 to 2019, goods transported by UK-registered HGVs within Scotland were on journeys that started and finished within the same region. The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) was the most active in terms of tonnage entering and leaving. There were 77 million tonnes on journeys within Scotland and 24 million of these were on journeys beginning in the SPT area (Table 3.8).
Fig. 3.1: Goods lifted by road; entering and leaving Scotland to or from rest of GB, 2019
2009 | 2010 | 2011 3 | 2012 3 | 2013 3 | 2014 3 | 2015 3 | 2016 3 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
million tonnes | |||||||||||
a) On journeys originating in Scotland | |||||||||||
by destination: | |||||||||||
Scotland | 118.8 | 116.8 | 121.0 | 123.5 | 111.8 | 109.1 | 115.8 | 123.6 | 107.6 | 111.4 | 97.8 |
Elsewhere in UK | |||||||||||
England | 12.2 | 13.9 | 12.8 | 12.4 | 12.6 | 13.3 | 15.8 | 15.7 | 14.0 | 16.5 | 18.6 |
Wales | * | 0.8 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 0.6 | * | 0.2 |
Northern Ireland | 0.2 | 0.1 | * | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Total elsewhere in UK | 12.6 | 14.8 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.8 | 17.0 | 19.1 |
Outwith UK1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Total | 131.9 | 131.9 | 134.8 | 137.2 | 125.0 | 122.9 | 132.7 | 139.9 | 122.6 | 128.6 | 117.3 |
b) On journeys with Scottish destinations | |||||||||||
by origin of journey: | |||||||||||
Scotland | 118.8 | 116.8 | 121.0 | 123.5 | 111.8 | 109.1 | 115.8 | 123.6 | 107.6 | 111.4 | 97.8 |
Elsewhere in UK | |||||||||||
England | 15.5 | 17.3 | 16.8 | 18.8 | 15.8 | 17.7 | 19.7 | 18.9 | 18.2 | 19.4 | 20 |
Wales | * | 0.4 | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 0.3 |
Northern Ireland | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | * | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | * | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Total elsewhere in UK | 16.0 | 17.9 | 17.5 | 19.6 | 16.2 | 18.2 | 20.3 | 19.3 | 19.0 | 19.8 | 20.7 |
Outwith UK1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Total | 134.9 | 134.9 | 138.5 | 143.2 | 128.1 | 127.4 | 136.2 | 143.0 | 126.7 | 131.3 | 118.6 |
Source: DfT Road Freight Statistics
1. The 'Outwith UK' figures include an element of doublecounting as figures include both the domestic and international legs of the journey.
2. Due to changes in the methodology and processing system used by the Department for Transport, 2004 and post-2004 figures are not comparable with pre-2004 figures.
These figures include goods lifted by Northern Irish-based HGVs, so are slightly higher than those appearing in DfT's Road Freight Statisics.
3. Figures from 2011 to 2016 were revised in 2018.
* = Sample too small for a reliable estimate
0-25 | 25-50 | 50-100 | 100-150 | 150-200 | 200-300 | 300-400 | 400-500 | 500 | All | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tonnes | ||||||||||
millions | 24.2 | 19.7 | 28.3 | 13.8 | 8.7 | 11.4 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 116.9 |
percentage | 21 | 17 | 24 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 100 |
Tonne-kilometres | ||||||||||
millions | 356 | 727 | 2,009 | 1,689 | 1,503 | 2,828 | 1,958 | 1,186 | 1,487 | 13,744 |
percentage | 3 | 5 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 100 |
Source: DfT Road Freight Statistics
2009 | 2010 | 2011 2 | 2012 2 | 2013 2 | 2014 2 | 2015 2 | 2016 2 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
million tonne-kilometres | |||||||||||
a) On journeys originating in Scotland | |||||||||||
by destination: | |||||||||||
Scotland | 6,788 | 7,173 | 8,065 | 7,704 | 7,266 | 7,226 | 7,708 | 9,382 | 7,722 | 8,873 | 8,374 |
Elsewhere in UK | |||||||||||
England | 4,199 | 4,708 | 4,068 | 3,841 | 4,223 | 4,470 | 5,394 | 5,165 | 4,927 | 5,344 | 5,247 |
Wales | * | 351 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 231 | * | 64 |
Northern Ireland | 30 | 18 | * | 130 | 25 | 36 | 64 | 73 | 42 | 39 | 59 |
Total elsewhere in UK | 4,345 | 5,077 | 4,377 | 4,176 | 4,333 | 4,551 | 5,676 | 5,276 | 5,201 | 5,521 | 5,370 |
Outwith UK 2 | 519 | 445 | 370 | 358 | 306 | 280 | 250 | 225 | 208 | 241 | 395 |
Total | 11,652 | 12,695 | 12,813 | 12,239 | 11,906 | 12,056 | 13,634 | 14,883 | 13,130 | 14,635 | 14,139 |
b) On journeys with Scottish destinations | |||||||||||
by origin of journey: | |||||||||||
Scotland | 6,788 | 7,173 | 8,065 | 7,704 | 7,266 | 7,226 | 7,708 | 9,382 | 7,722 | 8,873 | 8,374 |
Elsewhere in UK | |||||||||||
England | 5,393 | 5,888 | 5,347 | 5,551 | 5,376 | 6,010 | 6,601 | 6,489 | 6,103 | 6,610 | 5,815 |
Wales | * | 212 | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 93 |
Northern Ireland | 32 | 32 | 65 | 101 | * | 58 | 101 | 47 | 41 | 46 | 76 |
Total elsewhere in UK | 5,460 | 6,132 | 5,563 | 5,835 | 5,525 | 6,191 | 6,788 | 6,628 | 6,415 | 6,690 | 5,984 |
Outwith UK 2 | 176 | 170 | 119 | 126 | 124 | 105 | 196 | 134 | 144 | 125 | 153 |
Total | 12,424 | 13,475 | 13,747 | 13,666 | 12,915 | 13,522 | 14,691 | 16,144 | 14,281 | 15,689 | 14,511 |
c) The road freight intensity of the Scottish economy - an index of the ratio of the index of road freight tonne-kilometres to the | |||||||||||
index of Gross Domestic Product | |||||||||||
Road freight moved by UK HGVs on journeys originating in Scotland | million tonne-kilometres | ||||||||||
volume | 11,652 | 12,695 | 12,813 | 12,239 | 11,906 | 12,056 | 13,634 | 14,883 | 13,130 | 14,635 | 14,139 |
index, 2009 = 100 | |||||||||||
Index: 2009 = 100 | 100.0 | 109.0 | 110.0 | 105.0 | 102.2 | 103.5 | 117.0 | 127.7 | 112.7 | 125.6 | 121.3 |
Scottish Gross Domestic Product (Gross Value Added for all industries)1 | |||||||||||
Index: 2016 = 100 | 92.9 | 93.8 | 94.5 | 94.7 | 96.7 | 98.7 | 99.2 | 100.0 | 101.1 | 102.7 | 103.6 |
Index: 2009=100 | 100.0 | 101.0 | 101.7 | 102.0 | 104.1 | 106.2 | 106.8 | 107.7 | 108.9 | 110.6 | 111.5 |
Road freight intensity | |||||||||||
Index: 2009 = 100 | 100.0 | 107.9 | 108.1 | 103.0 | 98.2 | 97.4 | 109.6 | 118.6 | 103.5 | 113.6 | 108.8 |
Source: DfT Road Freight Statistics
1. Scottish GDP figures are as published 18 March 2020.
These figures include goods lifted by Northern Irish-based HGVs, so are slightly higher than those appearing in DfT's Road Freight Statisics.
2. Figures from 2011 to 2016 were revised in 2018.
* = Sample too small for a reliable estimate
Note: GDP figures available table 5 here https://www.gov.scot/publications/about-gdp/
Note: discontinuities in the series (denoted by lines) are described in detail within the methodology note; comparisons across years where
methodological changes have occurred should be treated with caution.
Goods remaining in Scotland | Goods entering Scotland from rest of UK | Goods leaving Scotland for rest of UK | |
---|---|---|---|
Products of agriculture, forestry, raw materials | |||
Agricultural products | 8,846 | 2,097 | 3,089 |
Coal and lignite | 349 | * | * |
Metal ore and other mining and quarrying | 14,286 | 1,541 | 875 |
Subtotal | 23,481 | 3,638 | 4,092 |
Food products, including beverages and tobacco | |||
Food products | 17,713 | 5,539 | 4,042 |
Textile, leather and wood products | |||
Textiles and textile products; leather and leather products | 523 | 297 | * |
Wood products | 3,515 | 753 | 1,478 |
Subtotal | 4,037 | 1,050 | 1,693 |
Metal, mineral and chemical products | |||
Coke and refined petroleum products | 9,128 | * | * |
Chemical products | 1,790 | 1,032 | 684 |
Glass, cement and other non-metallic mineral products | 7,695 | 2,131 | 1,471 |
Metal products | 848 | 488 | 361 |
Subtotal | 19,461 | 3,889 | 2,892 |
Machinery and equipment, consumer durables | |||
Machinery and equipment | 1,172 | 477 | 609 |
Transport equipment | 660 | 476 | * |
Furniture | 290 | * | * |
Subtotal | 2,122 | 1,127 | 1,031 |
Other products | |||
Waste related products | 10,741 | 721 | 919 |
Mail, parcels | 2,710 | 583 | 320 |
Empty containers, pallets and other packaging | 1,731 | 421 | 513 |
Household and office removals | 2,388 | 633 | 642 |
Grouped goods | 12,023 | 2,489 | 2,477 |
Unidentifiable goods | 1,364 | 566 | 527 |
Other goods | * | * | * |
Subtotal | 30,957 | 5,412 | 5,398 |
Total all commodities | 97,771 | 20,655 | 19,148 |
Products of agriculture, forestry, raw materials | |||
Agricultural products | 1,056 | 542 | 999 |
Coal and lignite | 19 | * | * |
Metal ore and other mining and quarrying | 591 | 396 | 133 |
Subtotal | 1,666 | 939 | 1,207 |
Food products, including beverages and tobacco | |||
Food products | 1,951 | 1,848 | 1,342 |
Textile, leather and wood products | |||
Textiles and textile products; leather and leather products | 39 | 77 | * |
Wood products | 383 | 256 | 407 |
Subtotal | 422 | 332 | 449 |
Metal, mineral and chemical products | |||
Coke and refined petroleum products | 727 | * | * |
Chemical products | 183 | 259 | 185 |
Glass, cement and other non-metallic mineral products | 517 | 619 | 293 |
Metal products | 98 | 141 | 107 |
Subtotal | 1,525 | 1,052 | 692 |
Machinery and equipment, consumer durables | |||
Machinery and equipment | 97 | 189 | 222 |
Transport equipment | 43 | 147 | * |
Furniture | 33 | * | * |
Subtotal | 173 | 401 | 333 |
Other products | |||
Waste related products | 693 | 108 | 235 |
Mail, parcels | 435 | 158 | 71 |
Empty containers, pallets and other packaging | 178 | 105 | 157 |
Household and office removals | 105 | 101 | 125 |
Grouped goods | 1,042 | 730 | 604 |
Unidentifiable goods | 182 | 210 | 157 |
Other goods | * | * | * |
Subtotal | 2,637 | 1,412 | 1,347 |
Total all commodities | 8,374 | 6,695 | 5,370 |
* = Sample too small for a reliable estimate
These figures include goods lifted by Northern Irish-based HGVs, so are slightly higher than those appearing in DfT's Road Freight Statisics.
Goods entering UK | Goods leaving UK | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total entering UK | of which: entering Scotland | Total leaving UK | of which: leaving Scotland | |
Products of agriculture, forestry, raw materials | ||||
Agricultural products | 585 | * | 325 | * |
Coal and lignite | * | * | 1,805 | 159 |
Metal ore and other mining and quarrying | 261 | * | 176 | * |
Subtotal | 873 | * | 2,306 | 182 |
Food products, including beverages and tobacco | ||||
Food products | 2,128 | 62 | 321 | * |
Textile, leather and wood products | ||||
Textiles and textile products; leather and leather products | 57 | * | 195 | * |
Wood products | 185 | * | 324 | * |
Subtotal | 242 | * | 519 | * |
Metal, mineral and chemical products | ||||
Coke and refined petroleum products | 36 | * | 1,227 | * |
Chemical products | 221 | * | 174 | * |
Glass, cement and other non-metallic mineral products | 980 | * | 539 | 52 |
Metal products | 131 | * | 245 | * |
Subtotal | 1,367 | * | 2,186 | 66 |
Machinery and equipment, consumer durables | ||||
Machinery and equipment | 405 | 74 | 85 | * |
Transport equipment | 367 | * | 115 | * |
Furniture | 25 | * | 173 | * |
Subtotal | 797 | 79 | 373 | * |
Other products | ||||
Waste related products | 205 | * | 117 | * |
Mail, parcels | 115 | * | 168 | * |
Empty containers, pallets and other packaging | 62 | * | 1,072 | * |
Household and office removals | 96 | * | 62 | * |
Grouped goods | 755 | * | * | * |
Unidentifiable goods | 95 | * | 7,857 | * |
Other goods | * | * | * | 391 |
Subtotal | 1,331 | 20 | 9,276 | 403 |
Total for journeys outwith UK | 6,738 | 196 | 14,981 | 661 |
Products of agriculture, forestry, raw materials | ||||
Agricultural products | 244 | * | 80 | * |
Coal and lignite | * | * | 759 | 191 |
Metal ore and other mining and quarrying | 60 | * | 77 | * |
Subtotal | 311 | * | 917 | 203 |
Food products, including beverages and tobacco | ||||
Food products | 915 | 43 | 115 | * |
Textile, leather and wood products | ||||
Textiles and textile products; leather and leather products | 31 | * | 34 | * |
Wood products | 69 | * | 168 | * |
Subtotal | 100 | * | 202 | * |
Metal, mineral and chemical products | ||||
Coke and refined petroleum products | 13 | * | 194 | * |
Chemical products | 131 | * | 92 | * |
Glass, cement and other non-metallic mineral products | 207 | * | 305 | 43 |
Metal products | 57 | * | 178 | * |
Subtotal | 408 | * | 769 | 57 |
Machinery and equipment, consumer durables | ||||
Machinery and equipment | 225 | 57 | 58 | * |
Transport equipment | 328 | * | 38 | * |
Furniture | 22 | * | 94 | * |
Subtotal | 574 | 63 | 190 | * |
Other products | ||||
Waste related products | 49 | * | 67 | * |
Mail, parcels | 70 | * | 82 | * |
Empty containers, pallets and other packaging | 38 | * | 411 | * |
Household and office removals | 51 | * | 28 | * |
Grouped goods | 333 | * | * | * |
Unidentifiable goods | 38 | * | 3,108 | * |
Other goods | * | * | * | 395 |
Subtotal | 581 | 18 | 3,696 | 403 |
Total for journeys outwith UK | 2,889 | 153 | 5,889 | 670 |
* = Sample too small for a reliable estimate
These figures include goods lifted by Northern Irish-based HGVs, so are slightly higher than those appearing in DfT's Road Freight Statisics.
Goods entering Scotland | Goods leaving Scotland | Goods entering Scotland | Goods leaving Scotland | |
---|---|---|---|---|
thousand tonnes | million tonne-kilometres | |||
Origin / destination of journey | ||||
England | ||||
North East | 2,800 | 2,222 | 674 | 533 |
North West | 6,820 | 6,810 | 1,909 | 1,899 |
Yorkshire & the Humber | 3,253 | 2,795 | 1,047 | 833 |
East Midlands | 1,680 | 1,255 | 576 | 502 |
West Midlands | 1,838 | 1,423 | 734 | 549 |
East | 1,059 | 1,624 | 326 | 355 |
London | 795 | 775 | 88 | 153 |
South East | 893 | 1,131 | 222 | 297 |
South West | 846 | 530 | 240 | 127 |
Total England | 19,984 | 18,565 | 5,815 | 5,247 |
Wales | 296 | 192 | 93 | 64 |
Northern Ireland | 375 | 391 | 76 | 59 |
Total elsewhere in UK | 20,655 | 19,148 | 5,984 | 5,370 |
* = Sample too small for a reliable estimate
Goods entering Scotland | Goods leaving Scotland | Goods entering Scotland | Goods leaving Scotland | |
---|---|---|---|---|
thousand tonnes | thousand tonne-kilometres | |||
Origin / destination of journey | ||||
EU countries | ||||
Austria | * | * | * | * |
Belgium & Luxembourg | 44 | 11 | 39,007 | 9,185 |
Bulgaria | * | * | * | * |
Croatia | * | * | * | * |
Cyprus | * | * | * | * |
Czech Republic | * | * | * | * |
Denmark | * | * | * | * |
Estonia | * | * | * | * |
Finland | * | * | * | * |
France | 30 | 178 | 32,023 | 191,786 |
Germany | * | 55 | * | 77,904 |
Greece | * | * | * | * |
Hungary | * | * | * | * |
Ireland | * | * | * | * |
Italy | * | * | * | * |
Latvia | * | * | * | * |
Lithuania | * | * | * | * |
Malta | * | * | * | * |
Netherlands | 60 | 71 | 33,365 | 50,188 |
Poland | * | * | * | * |
Portugal | * | * | * | * |
Romania | * | * | * | * |
Slovakia | * | * | * | * |
Slovenia | * | * | * | * |
Spain | * | * | * | * |
Sweden | * | * | * | * |
Total EU countries | 194 | 380 | 151,539 | 379,616 |
Other countries | * | * | * | * |
Total outwith UK | 196 | 391 | 152,941 | 395,344 |
* = Sample too small for a reliable estimate
Journey Ended In | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ZetTrans | HITRANS | NESTRANS | TACTRAN | SESTRAN | SPT | SWestrans | SCOTLAND | Elsewhere in UK | Total | |
Journey Started In: | Thousand tonnes | |||||||||
ZetTrans | 339 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 363 | * | 363 |
HITRANS | * | 11,087 | 627 | 343 | 231 | 751 | * | 13,122 | 1,435 | 14,557 |
NESTRANS | * | 429 | 9,776 | 391 | 374 | 472 | * | 11,490 | 1,180 | 12,670 |
TACTRAN | * | 326 | 587 | 3,133 | 948 | 991 | 81 | 6,067 | 844 | 6,910 |
SESTRAN | * | 472 | 687 | 962 | 13,118 | 2,934 | 479 | 18,652 | 2,619 | 21,271 |
SPT | * | 584 | 479 | 557 | 3,231 | 18,415 | 860 | 24,126 | 3,582 | 27,708 |
SWestrans | * | * | * | 231 | 273 | 669 | 2,307 | 3,575 | 1,916 | 5,491 |
SCOTLAND | 383 | 12,994 | 12,178 | 5,618 | 18,176 | 24,231 | 3,813 | 77,394 | 11,576 | 88,970 |
Elsewhere in UK | * | 1,486 | 1,769 | 670 | 3,940 | 4,643 | 1,800 | 14,308 | 1,370,337 | 1,384,645 |
Total | 383 | 14,480 | 13,948 | 6,288 | 22,115 | 28,874 | 5,613 | 91,702 | 1,381,913 | 1,473,615 |