Technology that helps drive sustainability

The transport and logistics sector accounts for 24% of CO₂ emissions in the UK  (Gov.uk, 2022). Being an industry that plays a critical role in the economy, haulage operators must start making proactive changes to operational processes to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility for decarbonisation.

Logistics UK stated in their most recent Logistics Report Summary, the UK government has set strict decarbonisation targets: diesel and petrol vehicles between 3.5 and 26 tonnes are to be phased out by 2035, and vehicles over 26 tonnes by 2040. Fleet operators are seeking an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 to meet government targets

Making the change to electric heavy goods vehicles seems like an obvious choice when looking for a solution to decarbonisation. However, adopting EV to migrate one’s fleet to a fully electric operation would take significant investment financially, operators must also evaluate whether the current EV infrastructure could support their operation, as well as the considerable wait period for vehicle delivery. With profit margins sometimes being wafer thin and if the capital isn’t available to invest in EV, what else can operators do to reduce their environmental impact?

Invest in the right transport management technology

Adopting a transport management solution is a great interim step for businesses to start making immediate changes that can in hand drive sustainability. Let’s look at some of the ways technology can help with efficiency, which in turn can help lower the environmental impact of the logistics sector.

Optimal route planning

Plan to succeed. With a digital transport management system, you can plan routes to their optimal potential to ensure you’re making the most of every mile driven. Operating costs are more expensive than they ever have been due to escalated fuel prices, planning efficient routes has never been more important to maximise fuel usage and get jobs delivered on time.

Giving planners all the right information they need to make informed decisions at the planning stage can reduce risk, costs, and your carbon footprint significantly, here’s how technology can help. Visualise and validate your plan with route planning software. Plan routes and bring all the right jobs together into a load quickly, taking customer SLAs, vehicle requirements, and other KPIs into account.

Maximise load capacity

By making the most efficient use of your truck space, you can fit in and therefore reduce the number of trips you need to make. Fewer trips equal fewer emissions, as well as significantly lower costs and wasted time.

Ensure your trucks never run empty

Research has shown that vehicles that run with an empty load emit a higher level of nitrogen oxide emissions compared to a vehicle running at full capacity. When vehicle control systems are fitted to the exhaust of HGVs, the system can only perform at its optimal potential when the exhaust reaches a certain temperature. So if a vehicle is running empty, this temperature may not be reached.

Digital proof documents

Electronic proof documents offer a simple step towards digitisation that can benefit your business, your drivers, and the environment. Receiving electronic proof of delivery (POD) as soon as a load is delivered enables immediate invoicing; it reduces the pressure on drivers to make sure PODs don’t get lost or damaged; and the reduction in paper use alone can contribute to reducing deforestation and the strain on landfills.

Technology has become the strategic cornerstone of operational efficiency and driving sustainability, and operators who don’t start their journey to digitisation will soon be left behind.

Schedule your ROI demo to identify areas of your business that could be running more cost-effectively and efficiently with the right transport management system.