1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190 
We're better than ever
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Latest figures released by the DfT reveal an increasingly efficient road haulage industry. David Craik reports
THE ROAD haulage industry is getting smarter and becoming increasingly efficient, according to the Freight Transport Association.
Chief economist Simon Chapman says statistics released in the Department for Transport's recently published report Transport of Goods by road in Great Britain 2004 show that despite an average growth in gross domestic product of 3% per year. the amount of goods moved by HGVs has not changed since 1998.
"This reveals that the introduc tion of 44-tonne vehicles from 2001 has succeeded in containing goods vehicles movements to the benefit of the industry, the consumer and the environment," he explains.
According to the report GDP has grown 32% since 1994, but goods moved by HGVs have only increased by 10% — and mileage has increased by just 3%.
"This reinforces evidence that the historic link between GDP and road freight transport has broken down" Chapman adds. While economic growth has always been accompanied by increased lorry mileage this has not been the case in recent years.
"This containment has helped to keep costs down, reduce fuel consumption and reduce the ratio of HGVs to cars on UK roads," says Chapman.
The report also shows a 5% decline in the transport of chemicals/petrol and fertiliser between 2003 and 2004.in contrast with a 4% increase in the distribution of bulk products.