Accredited official statistics

Road freight statistics: 2020

Road freight activity for the United Kingdom and internationally in 2020.

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Road freight statistics: 2020 tables

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Details

Statistics on road freight transported by Great Britain and UK registered Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in the United Kingdom and internationally in 2020.

Domestic freight activity by GB-registered HGVs operating in the UK decreased in 2020.

There were decreases compared to 2019 of:

  • 12% in the amount of goods lifted, to 1.27 billion tonnes
  • 11% in the amount of goods moved, to 136 billion tonne kilometres

International road freight by UK-registered HGVs transporting freight internationally decreased in 2020.

There were decreases compared to 2019 of:

  • 19% in the amount of goods lifted, to 6.6 million tonnes
  • 23% in the amount of goods moved, to 3.9 billion tonne kilometres

These statistics cover the period following the government’s announcement of measures to limit the impact and transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In early March 2020, the UK government set out 4 phases in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The evolving situation may have also impacted the activity of road goods vehicles prior to this stage. Coronavirus has had a wide impact on UK society and economic activity since March 2020.

As these data are affected by the coronavirus pandemic, caution should be taken when interpreting these data and comparing them with previous time periods.

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Road freight statistics

Email roadfreight.stats@dft.gov.uk

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Updates to this page

Published 29 July 2021

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