Swiss Freight Transport Decreased by 6 Percent in 2023

The transport performance in freight transport significantly decreased in 2023 compared to the previous year, both on the road (-6.1%) and on the rail (-5.7%). In heavy road traffic, a record low of 15.5 billion ton-kilometers was recorded, the lowest since 2007.

(Bern) The mileage of light goods vehicles (vans) continues to increase, reaching 5.1 billion kilometers in 2023. This is according to the freight transport statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS). In Switzerland, the transport of goods is mainly handled by the two modes of transport: road and rail. In 2023, the transport performance on the respective transport networks totaled 26.1 billion ton-kilometers, where one ton-kilometer corresponds to the transport of one ton over one kilometer. Compared to the previous year, the total transport performance decreased by 6.0%. The decline was similarly strong for both modes of transport (road: -6.1%, rail: -5.7%). The share of rail in transport performance remained unchanged at 38% in 2023, while that of the road was 62%.

Transport Performance in 2023 at Its Lowest in Years

In heavy road traffic, 2023 saw the lowest value recorded since 2007, with 15.5 billion ton-kilometers. In rail freight transport, the transport performance was also notably low at 9.9 billion ton-kilometers in the long-term comparison: aside from the year 2020, which was marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated impacts, one must go back to 2012 to find a lower value.

The main reason for the decrease in transport performance in 2023 is likely the weak economic development – in Switzerland, but also in Europe as a whole. In international traffic (import, export, transit), transport performance decreased by 8% in 2023 compared to the previous year, even more strongly on both road and rail than in domestic transport. In domestic transport, heavy road traffic recorded a decline of 5%, while the rail – which contributes relatively little to transport within Switzerland – was able to increase by 5%.

Significantly More Vans than Heavy Goods Vehicles

Road vehicles up to 3.5 tons gross weight are classified as light, while those over 3.5 tons are classified as heavy vehicles. In 2023, around 431,000 light goods vehicles, mainly vans, were registered in Switzerland (as of September 30). This corresponds to eight times the number of around 54,000 heavy goods vehicles (trucks and heavy semitrailers). However, heavy vehicles cover more kilometers on average per vehicle (32,000 km per year) than light vehicles (12,000 km). Accordingly, the total mileage of all light goods vehicles in Switzerland in 2023 was “only” three times greater than that of heavy vehicles (1.7 billion).

The mileage of light road goods vehicles increased by 46% between 2010 and 2023, while it remained stable for heavy vehicles (+0.2%). This is primarily due to the fact that the number of light vehicles grew significantly more during this period (+51%) than that of heavy vehicles (+8%).

Vans Mainly Used for Service Trips

Although light goods vehicles overall cover significantly more kilometers than heavy ones, their transport performance in 2023 in Switzerland was 14 times smaller (0.8 compared to 10.8 billion ton-kilometers; each excluding foreign vehicles). This contrast is partly due to the smaller loading weights of light goods vehicles. On the other hand, they are not primarily used for freight transport: in 2023, light vehicles or vans covered only 37% of the kilometers driven for the main purpose of freight transport. They were used significantly more often (52% of annual mileage) for so-called service trips, for example, when craftsmen travel to their customers for installations or repairs. However, these are not just empty trips; often, the devices or materials to be installed are also transported. Additionally, 9% of van kilometers were driven for private purposes and 2% for passenger transport.

Only 2% of Van Trips at Night

For heavy traffic, there is generally a night driving ban from 10 PM to 5 AM. This restriction does not apply to light goods vehicles. Nevertheless, the share of night trips is also small for them: in 2023, vans covered a total of 116 million kilometers during night hours (10 PM to 5 AM), which accounted for just over 2% of their total mileage. For trips for the purpose of freight transport, the share of kilometers driven at night was 4%, while for service trips it was only 1%.

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