France road freight loaded: international tonne-km
France road freight loaded: international tonne-km stood at 6,221 million tonne-km in 2025, according to SDES – Service des données et études statistiques (Ministère de la Transition écologique). It is one of the indicators in the Freight transport (annual) table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1999 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Freight transport (annual) table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total road freight transport | 172,907 | 174,015 | 169,240 | 173,353 | 174,853 | 169,663 | 174,061 | 171,875 | 167,691 | 155,843 | |
| International transport | 12,925 | 13,310 | 11,927 | 12,818 | 12,280 | 11,504 | 11,557 | 12,251 | 11,815 | 11,638 | |
| Goods loaded in France | 6,221 | 6,175 | 5,477 | 5,897 | 5,796 | 5,519 | 5,432 | 5,982 | 5,785 | 5,899 |
Understanding france road freight loaded: international tonne-km
Tracking outbound international transport performance, this series calculates tonne-kilometres for goods loaded onto commercial vehicles within the national territory for delivery abroad. It captures the initial domestic leg and subsequent international distance traveled by exports moving via road freight. By isolating loaded outbound cargo, this metric distinguishes export-driven transport demand from inbound shipments or domestic distribution. It measures how far outbound goods travel once they depart domestic loading points toward foreign destinations.
Reading this indicator requires accounting for external demand conditions in destination markets, which can cause abrupt shifts unrelated to domestic production capacity. Revisions often follow the delayed reconciliation of international transport logs and bilateral haulage surveys. Analysts must avoid confusing loaded export transport with transit or unloaded import movements captured in separate classifications. Annual comparisons provide the most stable analytical baseline, smoothing out seasonal trade fluctuations and providing a clear measure of outbound international logistics performance over time.
Frequently asked questions
- Where must the goods be loaded to qualify for this outbound international series?
- The cargo must be loaded onto the heavy goods vehicle within the national territory before heading abroad.
- Does this series include goods brought into the country from abroad?
- No, inbound cargo unloaded within the country is measured separately in another series.
- What drives fluctuations in outbound international transport performance?
- Changes in foreign demand for domestic exports and shifts in the geographic distance to overseas markets drive these figures.