New weights and reference period

As of the second quarter of 2026, the Cost Index for Road Freight Transport has been calculated using new weights, and the reference period has been changed to the second quarter of 2026 in tables 12535 and 12538. Historical index values are available in tables 14815 and 14816. The new weights are described in the "About the Statistics" section.

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Statistics on

Cost index for road goods transport

The cost index for road goods transport describes quarterly price developments in the operating costs for lorries and vans.

Updated: 23 July 2026
Next update: 16 October 2026

Selected figures from these statistics

  • Cost index for road goods transport (1st quarter 2026=100)
    Cost index for road goods transport (1st quarter 2026=100)
    2nd quarter 2026
    Cost indexLast quarter change (per cent)Last year change (per cent)
    Without road tolls and ferry costs
    All road goods transport except transport by van and car recovery99.1-0.94.4
    Short distance transport99.1-0.94.1
    Regional transport99.0-1.04.2
    Long distance transport98.8-1.24.1
    Tank and bulk transport99.3-0.74.6
    Transport of timber98.6-1.44.4
    Construction transport99.5-0.55.1
    Refuse collectors, household waste99.3-0.74.2
    Transport by van99.6-0.45.2
    Car recovery100.10.14.2
    All road goods transport
    All road goods transport except transport by van and car recovery99.2-0.85.0
    Short distance transport99.1-0.94.5
    Regional transport99.1-0.94.9
    Long distance transport98.9-1.15.1
    Tank and bulk transport99.3-0.75.2
    Transport of timber98.6-1.44.7
    Construction transport99.5-0.55.3
    Refuse collectors, household waste99.3-0.74.3
    Transport by van99.6-0.45.2
    Car recovery100.10.14.5
    Explanation of symbols
  • Cost index for road goods transport without road tolls, ferry costs and fuel (1st quarter 2026=100)
    Cost index for road goods transport without road tolls, ferry costs and fuel (1st quarter 2026=100)
    2nd quarter 2026
    Cost IndexLast quarter change (per cent)Last year change (per cent)
    All road goods transport except transport by van and car recovery100.30.32.8
    Short distance transport99.9-0.12.4
    Regional transport100.30.32.8
    Long distance transport100.40.42.7
    Tank and bulk transport100.50.53.0
    Transport of timber100.30.32.9
    Construction transport100.60.63.0
    Refuse collectors, household waste100.00.03.3
    Transport by van100.00.04.1
    Car recovery100.90.93.6
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 22 July 2026.

This statistic uses several key concepts to describe developments in the costs of road goods transport. These include:

  • Vehicle group
  • Prices and price data
  • Cost components and cost groups
  • Weights and weighting basis
  • Sub-indices and total indices

The cost index is divided into nine vehicle groups:

  1. Short distance transport, 40,000–50,000 kilometres per year.
  2. Regional transport, 55,000–65,000 kilometres per year.
  3. Long distance transport, 90,000–100,000 kilometres per year.
  4. Tank and bulk transport, 65,000–75,000 kilometres per year.
  5. Transport of timber, 65,000–75,000 kilometres per year.
  6. Construction transport, 25,000–35,000 kilometres per year.
  7. Refuse collectors, household waste, 20,000–30,000 kilometres per year.
  8. Transport by van, 35,000–45,000 kilometres per year.
  9. Car recovery, 25,000–35,000 kilometres per year.

Each vehicle group represents a specific type of transport operation and is intended to reflect differences in the cost structure between different parts of the road goods transport industry.

For each vehicle group, the cost index is calculated using price data comprising actual selling prices for goods and services purchased by owners in the road goods transport industry, as well as price indices produced by Statistics Norway.

The prices and price indices are used to calculate the various cost components, which cover the most important costs incurred by owners of vans and lorries. The cost components are subsequently grouped into cost groups, which form the basis for the sub-indices in the statistic.

The Cost index for road goods transport consists of five sub-indices:

  • Labour costs
  • Fuel costs
  • Ferry costs and road tolls
  • Capital costs
  • Other costs

Labour costs are measured using the Labour Cost Index (LCI), produced by the Division for Structural Business Statistics at Statistics Norway. For this statistic, a customised extract containing quarterly indices for industry 49.410 Freight transport by road is used.

For Fuel costs, the price data are obtained from indicative truck diesel prices reported by a sample of dealers across the country for lorry transport, and from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for automotive diesel for transport by van.

The sub-index for Ferry costs and road tolls is based on ferry fare schedules for fare groups AP1, AP3, AP4, AP6, AP7 and AP9 under the national AutoPASS ferry ticketing scheme, as well as road toll rates obtained from the Norwegian Road Database (NVDB). The ferry data cover all 113 fare zones, while the road toll data include both ordinary rates and peak-hour rates.

Capital costs consist of depreciation costs and interest costs. Price developments for chassis and superstructures are obtained from price suppliers with dominant market positions, while developments in interest rates are based on the three-month NIBOR rate from Norwegian Financial References AS (NoRe), plus a lending margin.

The Other costs sub-index covers tyres, administration, insurance, taxes and fees, repair and servicing, accounting and auditing, and digital equipment. Price developments for tyres are obtained from the largest authorised dealers and cover several types of tyres. Administration costs and digital equipment are based on price series from the CPI. Insurance costs are based on reports from insurance companies with large market shares in the industry, while annual taxes and weight-based annual taxes are updated when the applicable rates change. Repair and servicing follow the CPI price index for maintenance and repair at workshops, which captures general price developments for workshop services, including parts and hourly labour rates, at vehicle repair workshops. The price data for accounting and auditing are obtained from the Producer price indices for services (SPPI).

The weighting basis determines the extent to which the different prices and sub-indices affect the development of the index for each vehicle group.

Each price and cost component is assigned a weight that indicates its share of total costs and determines how much it contributes to the calculation of the total index for each vehicle group. The weighting basis for each vehicle group is based on a cost survey conducted approximately every five years. The most recent survey was conducted in spring 2026.

Prices and weights are the main elements in the index calculation. Price developments show the trends in key cost components, while the weights reflect the cost structure of the industry.

Statistics Norway also produces a price index for road freight transport that measures developments in the invoiced prices of transport services. See Producer price indices for services (SPPI).

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