Skip to main content

Global road freight on the rise, ITF reports

Road freight’s share in global trade will increase from 6% to 10% by 2050, driven by increasing intra-regional trade, according to the latest report by the International Transport Forum. This growth is especially likely in Asia and Africa where efficient rail networks are and could remain underdeveloped, noted the report ITF Transport Outlook 2015. Hit hard by the global crisis in 2009, road freight volume grew 3% annually from 2010-12 in member countries of the OECD – the Organisation for Economic Co-opera
February 20, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Road freight’s share in global trade will increase from 6% to 10% by 2050, driven by increasing intra-regional trade, according to the latest report by the 1102 International Transport Forum.

This growth is especially likely in Asia and Africa where efficient rail networks are and could remain underdeveloped, noted %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal the report ITF Transport Outlook 2015 linl to International Transport Forum website false http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/ false false%>.

Hit hard by the global crisis in 2009, road freight volume grew 3% annually from 2010-12 in member countries of the OECD – the 3685 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Despite the growth, overall tonne-kilometres in 20121 were still 9% below pre-financial crisis levels.

After an initial drop of 10% in 2009, road freight is struggling in the 1116 European Union. Tonne-kilometres grew 3% in 2010, but growth slowed to 1% in 2011 and turned finally negative (a 5% drop) in 2012, overall volumes remaining below the pre-crisis peak.

Road freight accounts for around half of the total CO2 emissions from international trade-related freight and the share is projected to increase to 56% by 2050.

International freight now requires intermodal transport and is often performed by trucks. This domestic freight linked to international trade accounts for around 10% of global total trade-related freight and 30% of the total trade-related CO2 emissions.

The world growth of surface freight volumes and related CO2 emissions will be
driven by countries outside the OECD -- Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. Asia, including China and India, will account for over half of world surface freight transport by 2050, compared with 35% today.

Growth rates range between 330% and 630% for freight volumes and between 240% and 600% for the CO2 emissions. The difference between the highest and the lowest scenario for non-OECD economies reflects uncertainties related to the direction these economies will take in terms of composition of production and the share of different types of freight transport.

The report ITF Transport Outlook 2015 is available from the ITF, which is part of the Paris-based OECD, but is an intergovernmental organisation in its own right. It has 54 member countries, acts as a strategic think tank for transport policy and organises an annual summit of ministers.

Related Content

  • Doka chalks up sales revenue success
    April 18, 2013
    Globally renowned Austrian formwork company Doka has almost tripled its sales revenue in the last 12 years and is aiming for greater success in 2013, according to Group chairman Josef Kurzmann. Kurzmann said the firm recorded sales revenue of €853million in 2012, compared to €326million in 2000. Additionally, the percentage of non-European sales revenue accrued by Doka had increased from 6% in 2000 to 42% in 2012. To achieve further sales revenue growth, Kurzmann said Latin America, North America and India
  • ERF calls for better safety in Europe´s Work Zones
    May 14, 2015
    The European Road Federation will soon go on the road to promote greater work zone safety “As previous European projects (e.g. ARROWS) have already made proposals for the design of work zones at EU level, it was essential to avoid duplication and find an angle that would provide true added value” The European Commission has just unveiled the road safety statistics for 2014, which point to an overall slowdown in the momentum for casualty reduction achieved over the past few years. While the annual red
  • Golden opportunity at AAPA 2015 International Flexible Pavements Conference
    August 19, 2015
    In just under four weeks, on Australia’s Gold Coast, the best minds in the global flexible pavement industry will gather for the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association’s 2015 International Flexible Pavements Conference. Experts will be presenting the most up-to-date technical information as well as real life examples of applied technology to projects, whether they be roads, tunnels, ports or airports. “This is a must-attend event for all in road construction and maintenance,” said Michael Caltabiano,
  • A future UK government should focus more on potholes and road safety
    April 10, 2015
    With a national UK election looming next month, a future government must make road safety a top priority, said the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Half of motorists in a recent survey of 2,156 people, and conducted IAM in March, said the current administration has not given the issue as much attention as is needed. The number one issue that the government should be focussing on, according to 70% of respondents, is the reduction of the number of potholes. The backlog of repairs now tops more