EURtkm

EURtkm is a metric used in European transport economics to express the cost or revenue associated with moving one tonne of freight over one kilometer, expressed in euros. It combines the physical measure tonne-kilometer (tkm) with a monetary value, yielding a cost or revenue per tkm in euros. While tkm tracks transport activity, EURtkm ties that activity to price, enabling benchmarking and pricing analysis.

Calculation can be done by dividing the total transport cost in euros by the total tonne-kilometers. For revenue calculations, the total revenue in euros divided by tonne-kilometers gives a revenue EURtkm. Example: a shipment moving 20 tonnes over 100 km yields 2,000 tkm. If the shipment costs €1,600, the EURtkm is €0.80 per tkm.

Usage and adoption: the term is encountered in logistics analytics, academic studies, and corporate dashboards within Europe. It is not a formal international standard, but a practical metric for comparing efficiency across modes, routes, or fleets, and for normalizing pricing or performance data.

Limitations and considerations: EURtkm depends on how tonnage and distance are measured, and on factors such as empty mileage, load factors, and regional cost structures. Care is needed to maintain consistent definitions when comparing datasets or applying EURtkm in policy analysis or pricing models.

See also: tonne-kilometer, cost per ton-kilometer, freight transport economics.