Sustainability is a key concern for businesses in all sectors today. We are seeing the effects that growing carbon emissions and ever depleting resources are having on the environment, resulting in a vital need for us to find ways to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly to help tackle the climate crisis we are faced with. As transportation is a key contributing factor to carbon emissions throughout the world, it’s crucial that haulage companies find ways to drive sustainability in their industry.
Hauliers face new challenges every day, but environmental and sustainability issues are ongoing. To find ways to address these issues but without affecting daily operations or profitability, we are seeing companies offering haulage services introducing new systems to make their processes greener and more sustainable.
Optimised haulage routes
By optimising chosen transport routes, hauliers can help to save on fuel, as well as cutting down air and noise emissions. Taking routes where congestion and traffic jams are more likely not only results in more stress for drivers and risk longer transport times, it can also mean that use of fuel is much less efficient and carbon emissions are higher.
In order to keep emissions as low as possible and to use fuel more efficiently, hauliers are making use of technology, combined with road knowledge, to design more efficient transport routes. Transport management and route planning software can be utilised to visualise haulage routes, as well as providing real time information on traffic and roadworks. Tracking systems in vehicles also helps to ensure that drivers always take the planned route.
Efficient loading
In addition to taking the fastest or most energy efficient routes, it’s also important for haulage companies to ensure that the best vehicle for each job is always taken. Vehicles should also be loaded in the most efficient way possible for the intended route, ensuring that no fuel or time is wasted by having to reload to seek out different consignments.
Ensuring optimal positioning and weight distribution of cargo also helps to ensure that vehicles are not only stable, but more fuel efficient on each transport job.
Fuel type
How hauliers fuel their fleet can have a considerable impact on emissions. Whilst heavy load vehicles are not included in Government plans to restrict the sale of fossil fuelled vehicles in the coming years, there are still ways for haulage vehicles to lower their emissions. For example, diesel exhaust fluids can be used in certain vehicles to reduce the levels of harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides being released into the earth’s atmosphere.
Planning for return loads
A key way that haulage service providers are promoting sustainability and offsetting carbon emissions is by ensuring that their fleet never travels with an empty load. Planning for return loads should be a key consideration in optimising routes, preventing the need to take a separate journey to pick up another consignment or container. This approach is more cost-effective for hauliers, and more eco-friendly.
Modern transport management systems are key to determining collection points for return loads, cutting out dead transport miles, saving time and reducing the haulier’s carbon footprint.
Driver safety and accredited haulage companies
Safe driving and sustainability go hand in hand. Encouraging drivers to keep to sensible speeds and driving habits will play an important part in fuel efficiency and reducing emissions in the long term.
Look for haulage companies with accreditation – this is the transportation industry’s leading accreditation scheme for ensuring hauliers and vehicle operators demonstrate best practices in driver safety, efficiency and commitment to environmental protection.
Hayward Transport are FORS Gold accredited hauliers, providing a range of general and container haulage services for customers throughout the UK.