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Freight statistics
Australian freight statistics, 2024-25, with the source on every number.
Four numbers from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, the government's own freight statistician, and what each one means if you move pallets in New South Wales. Nothing here is ours; every figure links to its source and carries its year.
Or call Jayden on 0494 820 639, 7am to 5pm weekdays.
Quick answer
How big is the Australian freight task?
786 billion tonne-kilometres in 2024-25, the highest on record, on the BITRE Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook 2025 estimates: road about 253 billion tonne-kilometres, rail about 447 billion, and NSW road freight a record 87.6 billion tonne-kilometres. The total was 780 billion in 2018-19 and 760 billion in 2020-21, so growth is slow and the money for a shipper is in fuller consignments and better windows.
The numbers
How big is the Australian freight task?
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total domestic freight task | 786 billion tonne-kilometres, the highest on record | 2024-25 | BITRE Yearbook 2025, freight chapter |
| Road freight | About 253 billion tonne-kilometres | 2024-25 | BITRE Yearbook 2025, freight chapter |
| Rail freight | About 447 billion tonne-kilometres | 2024-25 | BITRE Yearbook 2025, freight chapter |
| NSW road freight | 87.6 billion tonne-kilometres, a record for the state | 2024-25 | BITRE Yearbook 2025, freight chapter |
| Total domestic freight task, for comparison | 780 billion tonne-kilometres in 2018-19; 760 billion in 2020-21 | 2018-19, 2020-21 | BITRE Yearbook 2025, freight chapter |
A tonne-kilometre is one tonne moved one kilometre. Rail's share is large because bulk commodities, iron ore and coal above all, travel long distances by rail; the freight that goes on a pallet is almost entirely road. BITRE publishes the yearbook each year; the figures above are the 2024-25 estimates and will be revised in later editions.
What it means
What do these numbers mean for a NSW shipper?
The road task is at a record and so is NSW's. More freight on the same roads, the same docks and the same driver pool is why waiting time, windows and access decide the price of a pallet delivery as much as the distance does. A receiver who takes a 7am to 3pm weekday window is cheaper to serve in a record year than in a quiet one, by more than it used to be.
Pallet freight is a road story. Rail carries more than half the national tonne-kilometres and almost none of the pallets between a Sydney warehouse and a Newcastle customer. The lane prices that matter to a distributor are road prices, moved by fuel, driver hours and access, which is why the pallet delivery cost page breaks the rate into those parts.
Growth is modest, so efficiency is the game. The total task grew about three per cent between 2020-21 and 2024-25 on BITRE's figures. A shipper will not out-run cost increases on volume; the money is in fewer, fuller consignments, shared freight for the small loads, a committed lane for the regular ones, and the empty pallets collected on the run already made.
Using the figures
How should I quote these statistics?
- Name the source and the year: BITRE, Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook 2025, freight chapter, 2024-25 estimates
- Keep the unit: tonne-kilometres, not tonnes, and billions
- Expect revisions: BITRE revises prior years in each new yearbook, so a figure quoted from the 2025 edition may move in the 2026 one
- The page is updated when the next yearbook is published; the date at the foot of this page is the date it was last checked against the source
The numbers that are yours
Your lane, your pallets, your window.
The national figures explain the market; the quote tool explains your price. Two postcodes, a pallet count and a weight, and shared and dedicated come back priced together in minutes.
Questions about freight statistics
How much freight moves by road in Australia?
About 253 billion tonne-kilometres in 2024-25 on BITRE's Yearbook 2025 estimates, out of a total domestic freight task of 786 billion tonne-kilometres. Rail carries about 447 billion, mostly bulk commodities.
How much road freight moves in NSW?
A record 87.6 billion tonne-kilometres in 2024-25, per the BITRE Yearbook 2025 freight chapter.
Is the freight task growing?
Slowly. BITRE's total domestic freight task was 780 billion tonne-kilometres in 2018-19, 760 billion in 2020-21 and 786 billion in 2024-25, the highest on record.
Where do these numbers come from?
The Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE), the Australian Government's transport statistics bureau, in its Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook 2025. The freight chapter is linked on this page.
What is a tonne-kilometre?
One tonne of freight moved one kilometre. Ten pallets of 500 kg each moved 160 km from Sydney to Newcastle is 800 tonne-kilometres.
Do you publish pallet freight statistics?
Not national ones; nobody collects pallet counts nationally. We publish our own lane prices and vehicle capacities, which is more than most carriers do, on the transport pages.
Prefer to talk? Call Jayden on 0494 820 639. Checked against the BITRE source on 13 October 2026. The lane prices we publish are on the pallet delivery cost page.
Related questions
- Can a courier take a pallet?
- What do two pallets Sydney to Brisbane cost?
- Taxi truck or a booked run: which do I need?
- When is a pallet pickup free?
Page updated 16 October 2026. Facts on this page are kept in step with the facts page; terms are explained in the glossary; the suburbs we stop at are on the areas page. Written by the team at 360 Operations Group, Prestons NSW; follow 360 on LinkedIn.