Chapter 3 - Road Freight
Introduction
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.
Following a methodology change from paper to online data collection, it has been concluded that road goods data before and after July to September 2021 (quarter 3) should not be compared. For more details on the methodology change and results from an investigation, please see Domestic road freight statistics: Methodology note - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Main Points
Good Lifted and Distance
In 2023, an estimated 118 million tonnes of goods were lifted within Scotland by UK HGVs and transported to destinations within Scotland. About 16 million tonnes of goods from Scotland were delivered to destinations elsewhere in the UK, and around 20 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 2023. (Table 3.1a and 3.1b)
Most road freight journeys are 100 kilometres or less in length: 17% of tonnes lifted by road in Scotland in 2023 were carried a distance of no more than 25 kilometres, and 29% 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 116 km. (Table 3.2)
Originating in Scotland
Goods moved on journeys originating in Scotland with a destination in Scotland accounted for around 10.5 billion tonne-kilometres in 2023. The overall total, including journeys with destinations elsewhere in the UK and abroad, was around 16 billion tonne-kms. (Table 3.3a)
Entering Scotland
In 2023, 19.7 million tonnes of goods entered Scotland on UK HGVs from the rest of the UK. 97% of these came from England. Around 7.3 million tonnes of goods entering came from the North West (37%), Yorkshire and Humber (20%) and North East (16%) regions of England. Fewer goods leave Scotland for other UK countries (16 million tonnes) than enter from them but the proportions going to and coming from different areas are similar (Table 3.6).
In 2023, ‘Products of agriculture, forestry, raw materials’ was the largest single category of goods lifted in Scotland, which remained in Scotland, accounting for 36.5
million tonnes out of the total of 117.6 million tonnes. (Table 3.4)
Destination
In 2023, UK-registered HGVs carried an estimated 196 thousand tonnes of goods from Scotland to countries outwith the UK, and 81 thousand tonnes from foreign countries into Scotland. Of goods leaving Scotland for abroad, carried by UK road hauliers, 58% went to France and 17% went to the Netherlands. (Table 3.7)
In 2023, around 3% of goods leaving the UK lifted by UK HGVs originated in Scotland. (Table 3.5)