Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
The purpose of the survey on goods transport by goods road vehicles is to produce and publish statistical information on the amount of goods carried by road transport vehicles registered in Lithuania, vehicle-kilometres and tonne-kilometres by freight classification, the EU regions (NUTS 3 level) and countries of loading and unloading. The main statistical indicators: weight of goods transported, tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres of goods road vehicles.
3.2. Classification system
Statistics on carriage of goods by road apply the following statistical classifications:
The optional variable type of cargo follows the Classification of Cargo Types of UNECE (United Nations, Economic Commission for Europe - codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21 adopted by the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures, Geneva, March 1986).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Transport by road goods vehicles registered in Lithuania, except for transport by agricultural, military vehicles and vehicles owned by the central or local government and public postal and railway companies.
A goods road motor vehicle is any single road transport vehicle (lorry), or combination of road vehicles, namely road train (lorry with trailer) or articulated vehicle (road tractor with semi-trailer), designed to carry goods Cross-trade is international road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country. National transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) located in the same country by a vehicle registered in that country. International transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) in two different countries and cabotage by road. It may involve transit through one or more additional country or countries. Cross trade is International road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country. Transit is any loaded or empty road motor vehicle, which enters and leaves a country at different points by whatever means of transport, provided the total journey within the country is by road and that there is no loading or unloading in the country. Goods carried by road are any goods moved by goods vehicle Place of loading/unloading of a goods road vehicle on another mode of transport
Place of loading (of the goods road transport vehicle on another mode of transport): The place of loading is the first place where the goods road motor vehicle was loaded on to another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).
Place of unloading (of the goods road transport vehicle from another mode of transport): The place of unloading is the last place where the goods road motor vehicle was unloaded from another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).
3.5. Statistical unit
Goods vehicles registered in the Register of Road Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania.
3.6. Statistical population
Goods transport by road by goods vehicles registered in Lithuania, except for transport by agricultural, military vehicles and vehicles owned by the central or local government and public postal and railway companies.
3.7. Reference area
All goods transport within and outside Lithuania by goods vehicles registered in Lithuania.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Since 1995.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Data are collected in tonnes, tonne-kilometres, vehicle-kilometres.
The road data are collected on a quarterly basis and are reported to Eurostat five months after the end of the reference period.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Eurostat submits annually semi-aggregated data (data exchange tables, see Commission Regulation (EU) No 202/2010 amending the Commission Regulation (EC) 6/2003) back to the reporting countries so that they can compile the total road freight transport on their national territories, including the operations by national hauliers and also those of all other reporting countries.
These data exchange tables include more detailed breakdowns than the publicly available tables. They also include, for each value, the information on the number of observations that the estimates are based on. In this way, the reporting countries can estimate the reliability of results that they aggregate from the data exchange tables.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
National level:
In the process of statistical data collection, processing and analysis and dissemination of statistical information, Statistics Lithuania fully guarantees confidentiality of the data submitted by respondents (households, enterprises, institutions, organisations and other statistical units), as defined in the Confidentiality Policy Guidelines of Statistics Lithuania.
European level:
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Description of Statistical Disclosure Control Methods, approved by Order No DĮ-29 of 19 January 2024 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.
The State Data Governance Information System Data Security Regulations and Rules for the Secure Management of Electronic Information in the State Data Governance Information System, approved by Order No DĮ-163 of 20 August 2024 of the Director General of the State Data Agency.
8.1. Release calendar
Statistical information is published on the Official Statistics Portal according to the Official Statistics Calendar.
Statistical information is prepared and disseminated under the principle of impartiality and objectivity, i.e. in a systematic, reliable and unbiased manner, following professional and ethical standards (the European Statistics Code of Practice), and the policies and practices followed are transparent to users and survey respondents.
All users have equal access to statistical information. All statistical information is published at the same time – at 9 a.m. on the day of publication of statistical information as indicated in the calendar on the Official Statistics Portal. Relevant statistical information is sent automatically to news subscribers.
The President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, their advisers, the Ministers of Finance, Economy and Innovation, as well as Social Security and Labour or their authorized persons, as well as, in exceptional cases, external experts and researchers have the right to receive early statistical information. The specified persons are entitled to receive statistical reports on GDP, inflation, employment and unemployment and other particularly relevant statistical reports one day prior to the publication of this statistical information on the Official Statistics Portal. Before exercising the right of early receipt of statistical information, a person shall sign an undertaking not to disseminate the statistical information received before it has been officially published.
Statistical information is published following the Official Statistics Dissemination Policy Guidelines and the Rules for Information Dissemination and Communication of the State Data Agency, approved by Order No DĮ-208 of 8 October 2024 of the Director General of the State Data Agency.
The statistics are published in the Database of Indicators (Transport and communications -> Road transport -> Indicators of goods transport by road).
The Indicators Database page is for viewing and analyzing statistical information. For more information on the Indicators Database, see the Indicators Database User Guide.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Statistics Lithuania may, on the basis of contracts concluded with higher education institutions or research institutes, provide statistical data to researchers of these higher education institutions and research institutes to carry out specific statistical analyses for research purposes. Statistical data are provided in accordance with the provisions specified in the Description of Procedure for Data Depersonalisation and Pseudonymisation (only in Lithuanian). More information is available on the Official Statistics Portal, in the section Data Provision.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Statistical information is published in the Eurostat database, provided to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international organizations, published on social networks, in video messages. Statistical information is published in the Eurostat database, provided to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international organizations, published on social networks, in video messages.
Statistical information can also be provided upon individual requests (more information on the Official Statistics Portal, in section Services).
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Methodological documents are published in the Road Transport section of the Official Statistics Portal.
In 2007, a quality management system, conforming to the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 9001, was introduced at Statistics Lithuania. The main trends in activity of Statistics Lithuania aimed at quality management and continuous development in the institution are established in the Quality Policy.
Monitoring of the quality indicators of statistical processes and their results and self-evaluation of statistical survey managers is regularly carried out in order to identify the areas which need improvement and to promptly eliminate the shortcomings.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The quality of the statistical results meets the requirements of accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, comparability and consistency. According to the annually updated plan of measurement of activity quality indicators of the State Data Agency, the results of the observed quality indicators of road transport statistical surveys are presented in fields 13 of this metadata description. In 2024, a self-assessment of the manual of the statistical survey on the carriage of goods by road was carried out in. It showed that the results of the survey meet the requirements for the quality of statistical information. When evaluating statistical indicators, the quality of the obtained information is analyzed. The results of the calculation are compared with the results of the previous period and the previous year. Outliers are identified and analyzed. In the event of significant deviations, the data provider shall be contacted and the reasons for the deviation explained.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main users of statistical information are the institutions of the European Commission, the European Central Bank, public authorities, international organizations, the media, business and academia, students and other users whose needs are met without prejudice to the principle of confidentiality. Statistical information is used to forecast and analyze economic developments.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Since 2005, user opinion surveys have been conducted on a regular basis. The Official Statistics Portal traffic is monitored, website visitor opinion polls, general opinion poll on the products and services of Statistics Lithuania, target user group opinion polls and other surveys are conducted.
In 2007, the compilation of a user satisfaction index was launched. The said surveys are aimed at the assessment of the overall demand for and necessity of statistical information in general and specific statistical indicators in particular.
More information on user opinion surveys and results thereof are published in the User Surveys section on the Statistics Lithuania website.
12.3. Completeness
All indicators established by the legislation are published.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The survey is carried out using a sampling method. The sampling list covers transport vehicles registered in the Register of Road Motor Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania.The sample size per quarter is 3900 goods road vehicles, the survey sample per week - 300 goods road vehicles. When calculating the estimates, statistical data are analysed by estimating outliers; data are edited. The coefficient of variation (relative standard error), used as the main measure of the accuracy of estimate, does not exceed 3 per cent.
13.2. Sampling error
Coefficient of variation, %:
2024 I q
2024 II q
2024 III q
2024 IV q
2024
Goods transport by road
2.5
2.5
2.7
2.5
1.3
Tonne-kilometres by road
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.0
Vehicle-kilometres of goods vehicles (loaded)
1.6
1.4
1.5
1.5
0.8
Vehicle-kilometres of goods vehicles (unloaded)
4.4
4
3.8
4.6
2.1
13.3. Non-sampling error
Errors not related to the sample are not counted.
14.1. Timeliness
Statistical information is published not later than on the 56nd day after the end of the reference quarter.
14.2. Punctuality
Statistical information is published in accordance with an Official Statistics Calendar. In case of delay, users are notified in advance by indicating the reason and a new date of publication.
Road freight data are transmitted to Eurostat within 5 months after the end of the reference period, as specified in the Regulation (EU) 70//2012.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Statistical information is comparable across the EU.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Carriage of goods by road transport – since 1995.
Data are comparable and comply with the requirements provided in Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, applied to the main indicators starting from 2000.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The definition of the turnover indicator for road freight transport is in line with the definition for rail, air, sea and inland waterways.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The quarterly and annual indicators for the statistical survey on the carriage of goods by road are harmonized.
In 2024, the average time spent by respondents to complete the statistical report on the carriage of goods by road – 42 minutes. Compared to 2023, the statistical reporting burden has decreased.
The results published are final and not revised later.
18.1. Source data
Source of statistical information – statistical survey on road goods transport.
Sampling register used for the survey
Name of register:
Register of Road Motor Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania. Data on road freight vehicles, which passed a roadworthiness test.
Name of organisation who maintains the register:
State enterprise ‘Regitra’, Lithuanian Association of Technical Inspection Companies "Transeksta".
Frequency of update:
Continuously.
Frequency of access to draw the samples:
Once a quater.
Arrangements for accessing the register:
Each quarter at fixed dates:
2024 first quarter - 13 November of 2023 year,
2024 second quarter - 12 February of 2024 year,
2024 third quarter - 13 May of 2024 year,
2024 fourth quarter - 12 August of 2024year.
Information obtained from the register:
Registration number, type of road vehicle (lorry/road tractors), enterprise code, year of production, name of private operators, name of business operators, load capacity; maximum permissible weight of vehicle, body type.
Procedure for reminders:
Notification of the start of statistical reporting is sent 4 days before the start of reporting.
Notification of the end of statistical reporting is sent 3 days before the end of reporting.
Notification of late submission of statistical report is sent 1 day after the end of the reporting period.
Notification of late submission of statistical report (repeated) is sent 3 days after the end of the report submission.
An adequate sampling frame is provided.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Weekly.
18.3. Data collection
Sampling methodology
Statistical unit:
Tractive vehicle
Types of units excluded:
Special purpose road vehicles;
Goods road vehicles with maximum permissible weight of less than 3.5 tonnes in case of a single motor vehicle
Vehicles which are not used for goods carriage
Goods road vehicle older than 25 years
Goods road vehicle which are not covered by survey:
Vehicles with less than 3.5 tonnes maximum permissible weight.
Time unit:
1 week
Time units of quarter 1 of 2024 included in the survey:
All (13 weeks)
Stratification:
The sample for one quarter is obtained using a sample in each stratum.
All goods transport vehicles are distributed in 15 strata.
Road goods vehicles are distributed in the following way:
Strata code
Goods vehicles
Load capacity (kg)
Form of ownership
25
Lorries
3500 ≥
Vehicles with licences for carriage of dangerous goods.
5
Road tractors
not divided
Vehicles with licences for carriage of dangerous goods.
23
Lorries
3500 - 9999
Vehicles with licences for international journeys.
8
Lorries
10000 - 14999
Vehicles with licences for international journeys.
9
Lorries
15000 +
Vehicles with licences for international journeys.
10
Road tractors
not divided
Vehicles with licences for international journeys.
24
Lorries
3500 - 9999
Vehicles of enterprises with activity NACE Rev.2 49.41..
13
Lorries
10000 - 14999
Vehicles of enterprises with activity NACE Rev.2 49.41..
14
Lorries
15000 +
Vehicles of enterprises with activity NACE Rev.2 49.41.
15
Road tractors
not divided
Vehicles of enterprises with activity NACE Rev.2 49.41.
16
Lorries
3500 - 5999
Vehicles with licences for national journeys and other
17
Lorries
6000 - 9999
Vehicles with licences for national journeys and other
18
Lorries
10000 - 14999
Vehicles with licences for national journeys and other
19
Lorries
15000 +
Vehicles with licences for national journeys and other
20
Road tractors
not divided
Vehicles with licences for national journeys and other
Recording of weight of goods:
Gross weight of goods is collected, i.e. containers swap bodies and pallets are excluded.
Recording of journey data sent to Eurostat:
Single stop and multi stop: Only the commodity with highest weight is taken into account.
Other variables: Currently only 5 countries are reported as countries crossed in transit (variable A2.7) as this is the maximum limit, although Lithuanian trucks can cross more than 5 transit countries. Lithuania may identify more than five transit countries.
Calculation of weighting factors:
Weighting factor=13*N/(S+S’)
N= number of vehicles in the register (in a stratum)
S= number of questionnaires used in analysis (in A1 dataset)
S’= number of vehicles for which no activity was recorded, but vehicles could be considered as active (holiday, no work, etc.), sold, scrapped, leased, with load capacity too low.
Additional (optional) variables collected compared to the legal requirements:
A1. Vehicle-related variables:
possibility of using vehicles for combined transport (YES)
vehicle operator’s NACE Rev. 2 at class level (four-digit level) (YES)
vehicle empty kilometres (YES)
A2. Journey-related variables:
axle configuration according to the nomenclature defined in the Regulation on road transport statistics (YES)
place of loading, if any, of the road transport vehicle on another means of transport (YES)
place of unloading, if any, of the road transport vehicle from another means of transport (YES)
degree of loading: situation ‘fully loaded’ (procedure 2) or ‘not fully loaded’ (procedure 1) of the goods road transport vehicle during the journey in question, in terms of maximum volume of space used during the journey (procedure 0 = by convention for unladen journeys) (YES)
A3. Goods-related variables:
type of freight (Cargo types) as defined in the Regulation (YES)
Environmental impact-related variables:
Type of fuel used and fuel consumption.
Main figures: 2023 2024
Total number of relevant goods vehicles in the country 69 442 75 873
Number of vehicles selected for initial sample and questionnaires dispatched to vehicle owners 12 892 14 083
Number of cases where no vehicle activity was recorded during the samepled period but the vehicle could be
considered as part of the active stock 2 733 3 066
Number of cases classified as non-respondents 2 433 2 387
Number of cases where sample register information was wrong and response could not be used 1 800 2 183
Number of questionnaires used in analysis 5 926 6 447
18.4. Data validation
National level : To ensure the quality of the statistics, the statistics are checked and validated. The logical relationship between the values is checked, the arithmetic errors and the omitted values are searched. In case of significant deviations, the reasons for them are explained to the respondents, if necessary. Errors in statistics are corrected.
From Eurostat : Since 1999, micro-data from the reporting countries have to be submitted according to Commission Regulation 2163/2001. The data are then checked and validated by EUROSTAT (verification of many different codes used (NUTS 3, numeric or alphabetic variables) correctness of linked questionnaires in the different dataset, etc…). Detected errors are then reported back to the data sender with the request for correction, this is an iterative process until at least 99.5% of all data records are validated and loaded in the database.
18.5. Data compilation
The sampling plan is a stratified sample with a simple random sampling in layers. Population sorting is random. The optimal Neiman distribution is used to determine the sample size in the layers. After the summary results are obtained, an analysis is performed. When the results obtained are considered acceptable, quarterly indicator estimates are calculated: an estimate of the sum of the Horwitz and Thompson populations is used. Annual estimates of indicators are calculated on the basis of quarterly data. The relative standard error (coefficient of variation estimate) of each estimate is estimated.
The influence of the season and the number of working days on the statistics on the carriage of goods by road is not assessed.
No comment
The purpose of the survey on goods transport by goods road vehicles is to produce and publish statistical information on the amount of goods carried by road transport vehicles registered in Lithuania, vehicle-kilometres and tonne-kilometres by freight classification, the EU regions (NUTS 3 level) and countries of loading and unloading. The main statistical indicators: weight of goods transported, tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres of goods road vehicles.
A goods road motor vehicle is any single road transport vehicle (lorry), or combination of road vehicles, namely road train (lorry with trailer) or articulated vehicle (road tractor with semi-trailer), designed to carry goods Cross-trade is international road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country. National transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) located in the same country by a vehicle registered in that country. International transport is Road transport between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) in two different countries and cabotage by road. It may involve transit through one or more additional country or countries. Cross trade is International road transport between two different countries performed by a road motor vehicle registered in a third country. Transit is any loaded or empty road motor vehicle, which enters and leaves a country at different points by whatever means of transport, provided the total journey within the country is by road and that there is no loading or unloading in the country. Goods carried by road are any goods moved by goods vehicle Place of loading/unloading of a goods road vehicle on another mode of transport
Place of loading (of the goods road transport vehicle on another mode of transport): The place of loading is the first place where the goods road motor vehicle was loaded on to another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).
Place of unloading (of the goods road transport vehicle from another mode of transport): The place of unloading is the last place where the goods road motor vehicle was unloaded from another mode of transport (usually a ship or a rail wagon).
Goods vehicles registered in the Register of Road Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania.
Goods transport by road by goods vehicles registered in Lithuania, except for transport by agricultural, military vehicles and vehicles owned by the central or local government and public postal and railway companies.
All goods transport within and outside Lithuania by goods vehicles registered in Lithuania.
The road data are collected on a quarterly basis and are reported to Eurostat five months after the end of the reference period.
The survey is carried out using a sampling method. The sampling list covers transport vehicles registered in the Register of Road Motor Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania.The sample size per quarter is 3900 goods road vehicles, the survey sample per week - 300 goods road vehicles. When calculating the estimates, statistical data are analysed by estimating outliers; data are edited. The coefficient of variation (relative standard error), used as the main measure of the accuracy of estimate, does not exceed 3 per cent.
Data are collected in tonnes, tonne-kilometres, vehicle-kilometres.
The sampling plan is a stratified sample with a simple random sampling in layers. Population sorting is random. The optimal Neiman distribution is used to determine the sample size in the layers. After the summary results are obtained, an analysis is performed. When the results obtained are considered acceptable, quarterly indicator estimates are calculated: an estimate of the sum of the Horwitz and Thompson populations is used. Annual estimates of indicators are calculated on the basis of quarterly data. The relative standard error (coefficient of variation estimate) of each estimate is estimated.
Source of statistical information – statistical survey on road goods transport.
Sampling register used for the survey
Name of register:
Register of Road Motor Vehicles of the Republic of Lithuania. Data on road freight vehicles, which passed a roadworthiness test.
Name of organisation who maintains the register:
State enterprise ‘Regitra’, Lithuanian Association of Technical Inspection Companies "Transeksta".
Frequency of update:
Continuously.
Frequency of access to draw the samples:
Once a quater.
Arrangements for accessing the register:
Each quarter at fixed dates:
2024 first quarter - 13 November of 2023 year,
2024 second quarter - 12 February of 2024 year,
2024 third quarter - 13 May of 2024 year,
2024 fourth quarter - 12 August of 2024year.
Information obtained from the register:
Registration number, type of road vehicle (lorry/road tractors), enterprise code, year of production, name of private operators, name of business operators, load capacity; maximum permissible weight of vehicle, body type.
Procedure for reminders:
Notification of the start of statistical reporting is sent 4 days before the start of reporting.
Notification of the end of statistical reporting is sent 3 days before the end of reporting.
Notification of late submission of statistical report is sent 1 day after the end of the reporting period.
Notification of late submission of statistical report (repeated) is sent 3 days after the end of the report submission.
An adequate sampling frame is provided.
Quarterly, annual
Statistical information is published not later than on the 56nd day after the end of the reference quarter.
Statistical information is comparable across the EU.
Carriage of goods by road transport – since 1995.
Data are comparable and comply with the requirements provided in Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, applied to the main indicators starting from 2000.
