Zero growth for road transport in 2005

Last year, Dutch road freight companies transported 679 million tonnes of goods, approximately the same volume as in 2004. The bulk of road freight transport was carried by articulated vehicles and lorries.

Volume of transported goods increases by one quarter

In 2005, Dutch road transport companies carried 679 million tonnes of goods to and from domestic and foreign destinations, an increase by 28 percent since 1995. The volume of domestic transport increased slightly more in this period than the volume of goods transported to international destinations.

Dutch road transport by destination

Longest distance covered by vans

Dutch transport vehicles covered a total distance of nearly 23 billion kilometres in 2005. Vans covered more than half of the total distance and articulated lorries more than one quarter, but vans carry relatively small loads. Almost 90 percent of freight was transported by trailers and lorries in 2005.
Converted to freight tonne-kilometres, trailers accounted for three-quarters of total transport performance, lorries for one fifth.

Road transport by Dutch transport vehicles, 2005

Most goods meant for the domestic market

Four-fifths of all goods transported in 2005 did not cross the Dutch border. The remainder went to foreign destinations. Goods coming from or going to foreign destinations annually make up approximately one fifth of the total volume.
The international transport performance equalled 52.4 billion freight tonne-kilometres in 2005, i.e. 60 percent of last year’s total. In international road transport, trailers played an important part, accounting for a share of 83 percent.

Transport performance Dutch transport vehicles, 2005

Peter Smeets and Jo van der Heiden