How road freight efficiency is measured

Empty kilometres are an important indicator, but on their own they do not show how well a truck’s capacity is used. A meaningful analysis has to look at the whole route, the load and the requirements of the operation.

In 2025, 21.8% of the distance travelled by road freight vehicles in the European Union was driven empty. The share was 26% in national transport and 12.9% in international transport, according to Eurostat. The difference shows that the structure of the operation matters: routes, markets and types of transport do not offer the same opportunities to find a return load.

The figure refers to kilometres travelled by vehicles, not to the percentage of trips run without cargo. And while it provides a useful benchmark at European level, it cannot be used to assess the performance of a particular company.

Empty kilometres are only part of the analysis

A vehicle may cover a distance without a load, but it may also carry a partial load on the return leg. That is why the number of empty kilometres alone does not show how much of the available capacity was used.

Eurostat estimates that in 2025 the average load over laden distances was 14.4 tonnes across the EU: 13.6 tonnes in national transport and 15.9 tonnes in international transport. This indicator, weighted by the distance travelled with cargo, offers a different perspective from the share of empty kilometres. But it does not describe each company or type of transport either.

Taken together, the two measures ask different questions. How often do vehicles travel without cargo? And when they do carry cargo, how much of their capacity is used along the route? The answers can point to different opportunities for improvement.

A return load has to fit the operation

Reducing empty kilometres starts with being able to match a delivery with a subsequent pickup. But an available order is not enough. The location, pickup window, destination, vehicle type and cargo requirements all have to match.

A load that requires a long detour from the route can add kilometres instead of reducing them. A schedule that conflicts with the next delivery time can affect punctuality. And cargo that is unsuitable for the vehicle’s configuration cannot be accepted just to avoid an empty leg.

Efficient planning therefore means balancing several objectives: using capacity, keeping to schedule, matching cargo to equipment and avoiding extra journeys.

Data has to be analysed by type of operation

An overall average can hide important differences between national and international transport, between multi-drop distribution and direct runs, or between goods with special requirements and those with no handling restrictions.

For an operator with different services and transport configurations, including refrigerated, curtain-side and urban distribution, indicators have to be analysed in the context of each operation. Comparisons become useful when they are tracked on comparable routes and services, based on data such as laden and empty kilometres, distance to the next pickup and average load per kilometre.

European data describes a challenge shared across the sector. At operational level, the useful question is more precise: where do empty kilometres occur, why do they occur, and what change could reduce them without adding costs or affecting delivery?