The HVF is the central pillar of the Swiss policy to transfer freight from road to rail.
Source: Swiss Federal Department of Finance

The performance-related heavy vehicle fee is a federal tax levied on the basis of total weight, emission level and the kilometres driven in Switzerland and the principality of Liechtenstein. It must be paid for all the vehicles and trailers which have a total weight of more than 3,5 tons and those used for the carriage of goods and licensed in Switzerland and abroad and drive on Switzerland's public roads network. For articulated vehicles licensed as a unit the tax is calculated according to the total weight. If articulated lorry and semi-trailer are licensed separately, then the unloaded weight of the articulated lorry and the total weight of the semi-trailer are relevant.