”The sled belongs to Sweden's greatest pleasures, and there is nothing more delightful or faster in the whole world, and no country better suited for it.”

Seigneur Aubery de la Motraye, French traveler to Sweden 1711–25

The Swedish road network was in such poor condition for a long time that it was almost exclusively used for short transports and passenger traffic. Long-distance transportation had to wait until winter came with ice and snow.

That's when Sweden's second road network, the winter roads, emerged. This dense network of winter routes primarily traversed frozen lakes, rivers, and waterlogged areas. On the smooth and flat surfaces of the winter roads, it was quick and easy to transport even heavy goods.

Now, sled transports of ore from the mines and charcoal from the forests could reach the blast furnaces. Iron from the blast furnaces was transported to the forges, and forged products were further transported to the cities. Each sled could carry 300-500 kilogrammes of cargo, requiring a horse and a driver.

When the railway arrived, a freight car could carry the same load as 12-20 sleds, and trains could operate throughout the year, regardless of weather and snow conditions.