Trucks run further but with less freight
Page 12
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• Britain's trucks clocked up more miles in 1998 than they did in 1997, but they carried less freight, says the Department of Transport.
Freight moved by HGVs increased by 1.6%, from 150 billion tonne/kilometres in 1997 to 152 billion tonne/kilometres in 1998. This increase was less than the rise in Gross Domestic Product, which went up by 2% in the same period.
But the annual report of the Continuing Survey of Road Goods Transport also shows that total tonnes lifted fell by 1%, from 1643 billion tomes in 1997 to 1.630 billion tonnes in 1998.
According to the report, the total tonnage carried rose by 24% between 1980 and 1998—but the total number of vehicle kilometres increased by 46% over the same period, suggesting that empty running is growing. The average length of haul was 93km in 1998, compared with 91km in1997 and 68km in1980.
• Foreign freight traffic coming into the UK increased by 11 million tonnes between 1997 and 1998—but outward traffic fell by one million tonnes during the same period.
Total freight traffic through UK ports increased by 2% to a record 568 million tonnes between 1997 and 1998.
Foreign traffic rose by six million tonnes to 371 million tonnes, with imports up 2% to 198 million tonnes and exports up 1% to 173 million tonnes, Domestic freight traffic operating from the UK's ports totalled 159 million tonnes, up 2% on 1997.
Container and RO-RO traffic increased by 3% to 9.3 million units carrying a total of 126 million tonnes.
• See news story, page 4.