Road haulage business falls below levels seen in 1999

THE ROAD haulage industry went into rapid decline last year with business falling to levels below those recorded in 1999.

Figures released by the Central Statistics Office yesterday reveal that tonnage of goods carried fell from a 10-year high of almost 246 million tonnes in 2008, to just over 148 million tonnes in 2009.

The figure of 148 million tonnes was about 14 million tonnes behind that which was transported by the industry a decade earlier.

However, in a double blow to the industry, the haulage fleet had grown over the decade by about 56 per cent, meaning an additional 31,466 vehicles were chasing the declining business.

As a further worry for the hauliers the statistics reveal lorries have been getting newer and busier in recent years, suggesting hauliers were working new lorries harder.

Vehicles used mainly for hire – as opposed to those which were transporting the owner’s own goods – were responsible for 60 per cent of the total weight of goods carried in 2009. These vehicles also performed 71 per cent of the total activity in terms of tonne-kilometres, indicating they travelled the longest distances.

The statistics office said that “given that these vehicles accounted for only 20 per cent of the fleet size, it is clear that they were used more intensively than those vehicles used mainly for own-account transport”.

It also appears the majority of goods were being transported in larger lorries. The smallest vehicles, in the 2-5 tonnes unladen weight category, accounted for 61 per cent of the vehicle fleet.

However, such vehicles were responsible for only 5 per cent of the total weight of goods transported and 4 per cent of activity in terms of tonne-kilometres.

The largest vehicles, in the over-12.5 tonnes unladen category, accounted for 13 per cent of the vehicle fleet and transported 50 per cent of the total weight of goods carried.

They travelled 33 per cent of total vehicle kilometres and had the largest share of activity.

In 2009, vehicles manufactured from 2006 onwards accounted for 39 per cent of the vehicle fleet. These vehicles transported 47 per cent of the total weight of goods carried, travelled 50 per cent of the total vehicle kilometres and were responsible for 53 per cent of total activity in terms of tonne-kilometres.

While construction activity had fallen off rapidly in recent years, “quarry products, metal ores and peat” still accounted for 31 per cent of total weight in 2009.

In terms of the distance goods were carried, foodstuffs had the largest share of tonne-kilometres, with 25 per cent of the total.

This report contains the results of the National Survey of Transport of Goods by Roadconducted in 2009 for an EU-wide project.