GLOSSARY
Articulated trucks
Motor vehicles constructed primarily for load carrying, consisting of a prime mover which has no significant load carrying area, but with a turntable device which is linked to a semitrailer.
Billion
The term 'billion' means 'thousand million' in line with Australian standards.
Buses
Motor vehicles constructed for the carriage of passengers. Included are all motor vehicles with 10 or more seats, including the driver's seat.
Business kilometres
Distance travelled for hire and reward, or charged to a business expense, or for which an allowance was received. All distances travelled for business purposes, irrespective of actual use, and irrespective of vehicle type, are included in total business kilometres. The laden-unladen dissection of distance travelled for business purposes relates only to freight vehicles, i.e. light commercial vehicles, rigid trucks and articulated trucks.
Business use
Use of vehicle for business, professional, farm or government purposes. It includes use for hire or reward, use which is chargeable to business expense and use for which an allowance was received. Travel to and from work is not included.
Capital city
Reported areas of use within or around the capital city areas in each State or Territory similar to the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas as defined in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), 2011.
Freight vehicles
Consists of light commercial vehicles, rigid trucks and articulated trucks.
Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption is calculated by aggregating the total kilometres travelled multiplied by reported average rate of fuel consumption for each vehicle.
Gross Combination Mass (GCM)
Tare weight (i.e. unladen weight) of the motor vehicle and attached trailers, plus their maximum carrying capacity. In the survey, this was obtained for vehicles operated in combination (e.g. a prime mover/semitrailer combination, or a rigid truck/trailer combination).
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM)
Tare weight (i.e. unladen weight) of the motor vehicle, plus its maximum carrying capacity. In the survey, this was obtained for buses, rigid trucks and light commercial vehicles not usually towing trailers.
Interstate
This refers to any travel by vehicles outside their state or territory of registration.
Laden distance
Distance travelled by light commercial vehicles, rigid trucks and articulated trucks from one destination to another when carrying freight.
Light commercial vehicles
Motor vehicles constructed for the carriage of goods and which are less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes GVM. Included are utilities, panel vans, cab-chassis and goods carrying vans (whether four-wheel drive or not).
Megalitre
The term 'megalitre' means 'one million litres'.
Non-freight carrying trucks
Specialist motor vehicles or motor vehicles fitted with special purpose equipment, and having little or no goods carrying capacity, e.g. ambulances, cherry pickers, fire trucks and tow trucks.
Other Urban Areas
Areas of use outside the capital city areas and in urban areas similar to the Significant Urban Areas as defined in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), 2011.
Passenger vehicles
Motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of persons and containing up to nine seats (including the driver's seat). Included are cars, station wagons, four-wheel drive passenger vehicles, campervans and passenger vans or mini buses with fewer than 10 seats.
Private use
Travel which is not for business purposes. Personal and other use and Travel to and from work categories are considered private use.
Rigid trucks
Motor vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes GVM, constructed with a load carrying area. Included are normal rigid trucks with a tow bar, draw bar or other non-articulated coupling on the rear of the vehicle.
Relative Standard Error (RSE)
The standard error expressed as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers.
Standard Error (SE)
Indicates the extent to which an estimate might have varied by chance because only a sample of vehicles was included.
Tonne-kilometres
Total tonne-kilometres is the aggregation of the number of tonnes moved multiplied by the distance travelled in kilometres for each individual vehicle carrying freight. Note that it is not the aggregation of the total number of tonnes moved by total kilometres travelled by all vehicles carrying freight.
For SMVU, tonne-kilometres are calculated using the laden distance travelled for work purposes and average load weight as reported by the respondent. This is weighted and aggregated to produce total tonnes-kilometres.
Tonnes carried
Total tonnes carried is the total weight of goods and freight carried during the survey period. The estimate of total tonnes carried relates to goods and freight uplifted by vehicles and therefore will overstate the actual physical quantity of goods and freight moved during the survey period to the extent that transhipment occurs (i.e. the transfer of goods and freight from one vehicle to another).
For SMVU, Total tonnes carried are calculated using the number of weeks used for business purpose, number of trips per week and the average load weight. This is weighted and aggregated to produce total tonnes carried.
Travel to and from work
The travel between place of residence and place of work at the beginning and end of all working days, including travel to and from public transport stations.
Unladen distance
Distance travelled by light commercial vehicles, rigid trucks and articulated trucks from one destination to another when not carrying freight.