Freight statistics answer different questions depending on whether they measure weight, distance-weighted activity, shipments, revenue or another quantity. A percentage of tonnes is not interchangeable with a percentage of revenue. Before reusing a statistic, identify its population, geography, period and unit.
This reference is for businesses evaluating a freight report or preparing their own transport presentation. It links to primary Canadian sources and supplies an original interpretation checklist rather than claiming a new national market estimate.
Read the measure before the headline
| Measure | Question it helps answer | What it does not establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| Tonnes | How much freight mass was recorded? | Distance moved |
| Tonne-kilometres | How much mass–distance activity occurred? | Transport revenue or shipment count |
| Shipment count | How many defined movements were recorded? | Their size or value |
| Revenue | What income was recorded for the defined activity? | Physical volume on the same basis |
| Average distance | What distance applies to the measured population? | Every route’s actual transit time |
Tonne-kilometres need a scope
Statistics Canada’s revenue tonne-kilometre definition appears within a rail-performance indicator covering the specified railways’ North American activity. It is not a definition of a measured total for all Canadian road freight.
The general arithmetic is straightforward: one tonne moved 100 kilometres represents 100 tonne-kilometres. Ten tonnes moved ten kilometres also represent 100 tonne-kilometres, even though the shipment pattern differs. These are arithmetic examples, not survey observations.
Check the table population and multiplier
Statistics Canada Table 23-10-0220-01 identifies its subject as annual civil-aviation operating statistics for Canadian air carriers at specified levels and displays a thousands multiplier. Those details matter before extracting a number.
An aviation table should not be relabelled as trucking data. Likewise, a release date is not automatically the year being measured. Read the selected reference period and relevant notes.
Use this citation record
Keep the table or publication identifier, exact measure, unit and multiplier, geography, covered population, reference period, release version and relevant exclusions. Store the source link beside the figure in your working file.
When calculating a share, verify that numerator and denominator cover compatible populations and units. Do not divide one mode’s national tonnes by another source’s multinational tonne-kilometres. The resulting percentage would not answer a meaningful market-share question.
Apply the same discipline to company claims
A company shipment sample can describe that sample, not automatically the Canadian industry. Show sample size, service mix and measurement period before drawing conclusions. Avoid publishing confidential customer records when preparing examples.
Use national data for context and shipment-specific quotes for transport decisions. WTM can review your actual freight transportation requirement. A well-sourced industry chart and a practical quote serve different purposes; neither needs to pretend to be the other.
