Statistics Netherlands | CBS | Participation of Companies in Survey Road Transport More Efficiently Organized
Statistics Netherlands | CBS
Source published: 10 July 25
Participation of Companies in Survey Road Transport More Efficiently Organized
Transport companies will be able to submit data more efficiently for the CBS survey on road transport starting May 2025.
Transport companies will be able to submit data more efficiently for the CBS survey on road transport starting May 2025. They have the option to send data using the open-source data sharing model from the transport and logistics sector (called Open Trip Model (OTM)) instead of the CBS XML connection. This innovation saves companies time and costs. The quality of the data is also expected to improve.
Road Freight Transport
How many loaded trucks traveled from Limburg to North Holland in the past year? How much sand was transported by road in our country? How much CO2 emissions were associated with all movements of trucks, tractors, trailers, and semi-trailers? Trip data on a variety of topics can be found in the annual CBS publication Road Freight Transport. Many parties draw from that data. The maintenance schedule for roads and bridges of Rijkswaterstaat is partially based on it. Furthermore, CBS is obligated to send the data to the European statistics office Eurostat.
New Way of Data Submission
The main source for Road Freight Transport is the data provided by transport companies. They do this through the CBS survey on road transport. Every quarter, a number of companies are approached by CBS to participate in the sample. It is our duty to burden companies as little as possible during data collection, says Wilfred Zentjens, working within the Traffic and Transport sector of CBS. That is why we have worked with TLN to find a new way of data submission. According to Wout van den Heuvel, coordinator of the Digitalization team at the entrepreneurs organization, 4300 transport and logistics companies are affiliated with TLN. All our members are familiar with the CBS surveys on road transport. They will see this as a step forward to facilitate participation.
Open Trip Model
The innovation means that companies can deliver their data to CBS via the Open Trip Model (OTM) of TLN instead of the XML system or the online survey of CBS. Van den Heuvel: We welcome the use of a facility that is available in the sector. Zentjens: CBS introduced XML about ten years ago. This allows companies to automatically send data from their database to CBS. This costs companies less time and yields more reliable data than when they manually fill out online questionnaires. However, the caveat is that XML is a specific CBS product. Companies can only use it to submit data to us. OTM is much broader in use and is supported by the industry. Therefore, CBS is happy to join it.
Standard for Information Sharing
Van den Heuvel: OTM is an open IT standard that allows all parties in transport and logistics to communicate electronically with each other. They do this in the same language. With OTM, for example, a transport order can be sent. Or an update can be sent when the goods have been unloaded. Think also of sharing a trip or even an entire schedule. OTM has been around for seven years. Various organizations – think of the Top Sector Logistics, governments, and CBS – are working to ensure that more and more companies use OTM and that it grows into the standard for sharing information. Zentjens: From OTM, companies can now inform CBS about which goods they have transported, what the quantity was, and where they were loaded and unloaded. These are the variables we ask for in the CBS survey on road transport.
Qualitatively Good Statistics
Starting May 2025, the improvement will be available. Zentjens: Within OTM, communication takes place via specific types of messages. CBS and TLN have worked on a standard message for the survey. Now there is the final version that everyone can use. Van den Heuvel: We have come to something that is workable for both businesses and CBS. Companies are burdened as little as possible, and CBS receives information that is sufficient for qualitatively good statistics.
Reuse of an Investment
Many companies still do not automatically submit data for the CBS surveys on road transport. They have not made the switch to XML in recent years. Zentjens: We hope that more parties will automatically submit data now that this is possible via OTM. Van den Heuvel: A company that now connects with CBS based on OTM can reuse this investment for other purposes. Conversely, if a company already works with OTM, it can now easily automate the CBS survey as well. Companies that switch to automatic data submission to CBS no longer need to participate in the online surveys on road transport. Zentjens: It is no longer necessary to retype information. This saves companies time and leads to more reliable data, which in turn leads to qualitatively better statistics.
