Domestic road freight statistics: April 2022 to March 2023
Published 26 September 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-freight-statistics-april-2022-to-march-2023/domestic-road-freight-statistics-april-2022-to-march-2023
About this release
This statistical release summarises the latest statistics on the domestic activity of GB-registered Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) operating in the UK between April 2022 and March 2023.
The information is derived from surveys of businesses that operate road goods vehicles. It covers the amount and type of goods carried by GB-registered HGVs, as well as their origin and destination and the distance they travelled.
A more detailed annual release on domestic road freight for 2022 is also available.
Notes about the data: Due to rounding, totals may not appear to equal the sum of their parts.
Important note for users
Data collection for domestic road freight statistics moved from a paper to online survey midway through 2021. An investigation of the data has concluded that the paper data up to June 2021 (quarter 2) and online data since July 2021 (quarter 3) should not be compared. A number of factors related to the online data collection were considered, alongside other external factors which may have influenced recent data changes.
A detailed explanation of the methodology change and the impact on the data can be found within the methodology note.
Definition
HGV: a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes.
Gross vehicle weight: the weight of the vehicle plus the maximum possible weight of goods that can be carried.
Headline figures
In the 12-month period ending March 2023,
1.60 billion tonnes
of goods were lifted by GB-registered HGVs operating in the UK.
Infographic 1: Total amount of domestic goods lifted, goods moved, and vehicle kilometres travelled by GB-registered HGVs in the 12-month period ending March 2023. Table RFS0101
Please note the difference in units between annual and monthly figures shown in infographic 1 above.
Goods moved and goods lifted both remained relatively steady between July 2021 and December 2022 but decreased in the most recent quarter, falling by 8% and 9% respectively in the first quarter of 2023 (January to March) compared to the previous quarter.
Distance travelled was also broadly steady between July 2021 and December 2022, but it also decreased in the first quarter of 2023 by 11%.
The decreases seen in the most recent quarter are partly driven by lower activity following the Christmas period and may reflect challenges in the economy.
Note: Domestic road freight data is collected for a week at a time, with each week assigned to a single quarter. The survey period for the most recent quarter means that data from 26 December to 1 January 2023 has been attributed to Quarter 1. Given that road freight activity is low in this period, this will explain some, but not all, of the reduction from Quarter 4 2022 to Quarter 1 2023.
Definitions
Goods lifted: the weight of goods carried, measured in tonnes. This is a measure of the amount of goods transported around the UK by GB-registered HGVs.
Goods moved: the weight of goods carried, multiplied by the distance hauled, measured in tonne kilometres. This is a measure of the total activity of GB-registered HGVs, accounting for both the distance travelled by each vehicle and the weight of its load.
More information
Further information about the statistics and methodology in this report can be found in the road freight domestic and international statistics guidance.
Other statistics related to freight and trade are available.
Please contact road freight statistics if you have any questions about DfT road freight statistics.
Data source
Previously domestic road freight data was collected via paper surveys until 1 August 2021, when the method to collect data transitioned to an online survey.
This short statistical release provides the latest headline statistics on the amount of goods carried by GB-registered HGVs and the distance they travelled. This release is published each quarter.
A more detailed annual release on domestic annual release is also available for 2022 which covers the type of goods carried by GB-registered HGVs, as well as their origin and destination, method of transportation, intermodal activity and empty running.
Accompanying data tables are available which give further detail on the key results presented in this statistical release.
Further information about the statistics and methodology in this report can be found in the road freight domestic and international statistics guidance.
Strengths and weaknesses of data
The figures in this release are mainly derived from a continuous survey sent to road freight businesses, which provides information on the activity of GB-registered HGVs operating across the UK only. As such, the statistics exclude HGVs registered in Northern Ireland, foreign-registered HGVs and vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes or less (Light Goods Vehicles and Vans).
The figures also exclude GB-registered HGVs when operating outside of the UK. For information on GB-registered HGVs making international trips please see the accompanying International Road Freight Statistics.
This survey is based on a stratified sample of HGVs. Figures are weighted to be representative of the HGV population however, like any survey, the figures in this publication are estimates with potential sampling errors.
Guidance on the methods used to compile these statistics can be found in the Road Freight Statistics notes and definitions. The sample sizes of the statistics and sampling error estimates can be found within Table RFS0129, broken down by type and weight of vehicle. The sample size for the 12 months ending March 2023 was 8,342 vehicles.
This release uses administrative data from DVLA and DVSA. More detail is available on the impact of this on the quality of these statistics.
Data comparability and 2021 methodology change
Before 2021 Q3, data was collected via paper questionnaires. At the start of 2021 Q3 the survey forms transitioned from paper to online format. Here, the vehicle operator provides the same information as previously requested in the paper survey. The new online survey has been made more intuitive based on extensive user testing.
The structure has been streamlined and guidance provided for each relevant question to aid interpretation. This increases the likelihood of respondents providing information that more accurately reflects the vehicles true activity, therefore providing more accurate estimates of the overall HGV population.
Due to the methodology change, comparisons between paper (pre-2021 Q3) and online data should not be made. This means no long-term data trends are available for these statistics. More information regarding the methodology change can be found within the methodology note. Long term trends on the level of HGV traffic in Great Britain over time are available in DfT’s Road Traffic Statistics. Data comparability and 2021 methodology change.
National Statistics
These statistics are designated as National Statistics. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards as set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice for Statistics plays an essential role in ensuring that statistics published by government inspire the public confidence through demonstrating trustworthiness and providing high-quality statistics.
The continued designation of the road freight statistics as National Statistics was confirmed in December 2016 following a compliance check by the Office for Statistics Regulation against the Code of Practice in July 2016.
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Road freight statistics
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