Transport by vans and small lorries, 2008

The number of vans and small lorries in Norway is growing, and these light goods vehicles constitute a transport segment with increasing importance for the transport of goods on Norwegian roads. In 2008, the vans and small lorries drove a total of 3 200 million kilometres with cargo, an increase of 16 per cent compared to a similar survey conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics (ITE) in 2003.

The total tonnage carried by light goods vehicles increased by 42 per cent to 18 million tonnes in the same period, while the total goods transport performance increased by 70 per cent to approximately 840 million tonne-kilometres. There were just above 440 000 light goods vehicles in Norway at the end of 2008, 18 per cent more than in 2003. About two thirds of the light goods vehicles are made up by vans with a carrying capacity of less than one tonne.

Small share of total road goods transport

Comparisons with other road goods transport statistics compiled by Statistics Norway (SN) indicate that the light goods vehicles were driven more than twice as long with cargo as the more heavy lorries and road tractors in 2008. Despite this - and despite the fact that there are more than ten times as many light goods vehicles as heavy goods vehicles in Norway - the tonnage carried by vans and small lorries only made up 6 per cent of the total tonnage carried by Norwegian road goods vehicles in 2008. The light goods vehicles’ share of the total road goods transport performance was 4 per cent.

Popular as service vehicles

The survey on transport by vans and small lorries shows that a large number of these vehicles are used as service vehicles. Close to 60 per cent of the owners of large vans state that they use the vehicle for service related transport. For all vans and small lorries, this share is 45 per cent. The majority of the service vehicles are carrying some goods such as materials, parts or components to be used in the trade.

Often used for private purposes

A total of 40 per cent of the owners of vans and small lorries state that they mainly use the vehicle for private purposes, while only 16 per cent state that they carry out traditional road goods transport in the form of multi-stop journeys or single-stop journeys. The vehicles that carry out traditional road goods transport nevertheless contribute most of the tonne-kilometres that are performed by vans and small lorries. The large number of service vehicles ensures that these vehicles also contribute a substantial share of the total road goods transport performance of light goods vehicles in 2008.

Multi-stop journeys are the longest

Vans and small lorries are mainly used for local transport. The average length of a multi-stop journey in the survey is just above 40 kilometres, which is about 10 kilometres longer than the average laden journey driven by service vehicles and single-stop journey vehicles. A large share of the multi-stop journeys is carried out in order to distribute food products, paper products (newspapers and printed matter), mail and parcels.

Food products made up 7 per cent of all the goods carried by vans and small lorries in 2008, while paper products and mail/parcels each made up 4 per cent. Machinery and equipment made up 21 per cent of the goods carried by light goods vehicles in 2008 and a corresponding share was classified as a mix of commodities transported together.

Highest mileage in Oslo and Akershus

The owners of the vans and small lorries in the survey state that they drive the most kilometres with and without load in Oslo and Akershus, followed by Hordaland and Rogaland. Vans and small lorries are only to a small extent used for transport outside Norway. The total vehicle-kilometres with load performed outside Norway are estimated to 11 million kilometres in 2008 for all the vans and small lorries in the survey. These vehicle-kilometres were mainly performed by light goods vehicles from counties along the border to Sweden.

Tables:

• Table 1 Transport by vans and small lorries, by type of vehicle. 2008
• Table 2 Transport by vans and small lorries, by type of vehicle. Average per vehicle. 2008
• Table 3 Transport by vans and small lorries, by type of transport. 2008
• Table 4 Transport by vans and small lorries, by type of transport. Average per vehicle. 2008
• Table 5 Percentage of vans and small lorries, by type of vehicle and type of transport. 2008. Per cent
• Table 6 Transport by vans and small lorries, by commodity. 2008
• Table 7 Transport by vans and small lorries, by type of transport and type of employer. 2008
• Table 8 Transport by vans and small lorries, by county. 2008