Mileage of Toll-Required Trucks Continues to Decline

The mileage of toll-required trucks with at least four axles on federal highways decreased by 0.8% in August 2023 compared to July 2023, after calendar and seasonal adjustments. According to the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) and the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the calendar-adjusted truck toll mileage index was 3.3% lower than in the same month last year, August 2022.

(Köln/Wiesbaden) The truck mileage on highways provides early indications of the current economic development in the industry. Economic activity generates and requires transport services. Therefore, there is a clear correlation between the truck toll mileage index and indices of economic activity, particularly the production index in the manufacturing sector. The truck toll mileage index thus provides a rough approximation of the development of industrial production. Since it is available about a month earlier than the production index, it serves as a leading indicator for economic development. However, a breakdown by economic sectors is not possible.

Daily Values for the Truck Toll Mileage Index Available in the “Economic Pulse Meter”.

In addition to the monthly index, an experimental daily truck toll mileage index for Germany is published. The daily values are part of the indicator set of the “Economic Pulse Meter” in the Dashboard Germany (www.dashboard-deutschland.de), along with other daily available economic indicators. This tool allows various statistics and characteristics to be clearly compared in a graphic. The combination of high-frequency indicators enables the observation of economic development almost in real-time.

Methodological Note:

The truck toll mileage index is based on digital process data generated during the truck toll collection. The index records the mileage of toll-required trucks. It was developed by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility. The Federal Statistical Office prepares it as a seasonally adjusted economic indicator for Germany and the individual federal states. Additionally, data on trips across the borders of Germany is provided.

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