Member Article

Hauliers working to cut carbon footprint

Haulage boss Gavin Murray, one of the founders of £15m turnover haulage specialist Grampian Continental, thinks it’s about time haulers burst some of the myths about the sector’s effect on carbon emissions.

“With continued concerns over global warming, we all need to play our part in reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, both as consumers and business operators.

Hauliers often bear the brunt of bad publicity over CO2 emissions. Watch any TV coverage on the subject and it’s likely the picture used will be a stream of giant lorries on a busy motorway.

But it’s unfair to regard us as the bad guys of carbon, especially when road and rail transport accounts for just under a quarter of UK CO2 emissions and the industry has made great progress in lowering fuel consumption and emissions.

Our industry has an excellent track record, reducing emissions by almost 45% over the last thirty years, and we are constantly working on several fronts to minimise the sector’s effect on the environment. As well as being good for the planet, it makes commercial sense. Reducing our carbon footprint saves us money and makes the business more efficient and profitable.

Vehicle manufacturers are playing their part, with millions being spent on making vehicles more aerodynamic and diesel engines more efficient. There is a shift towards bigger vehicles too, which mean fewer trips. Some experts estimate that longer trailers can save one in six journeys. Fuel is another key area, with hauliers moving towards using a higher proportion of biodiesel and other alternative energy sources.

Clever route planning can also help to reduce carbon footprint. We operate across Europe and North Africa so we need to make sure every lorry is carrying a full load, and is taking the quickest and most fuel-efficient route. There is a host of sophisticated route planning software on the market, and we recently invested £20k in software that gives us all the tools we need to plan routes and assess the emissions and profitability of every option before we commit.

The way a vehicle is driven can influence fuel economy, with statistics from the Road Haulage Association showing that driving style can influence emissions by 8-10% effect, cruising speed can affect them by 3-5%, and engine idling time by up to 5%. Today’s professional drivers are trained in safe and fuel-efficient driving, with haulage firms integrating refresher courses into training plans.

Latest figures from industry body the Freight Transport Association show that 21% of UK greenhouse gas emissions are from transport, with heavy goods vehicles accounting for 20% of those emissions.

Our sector is under pressure to improve those statistics and there is a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes to reduce emissions.

As a sector I believe we should be upfront about our track record and achievements. The freight industry is hugely important to the UK economy and the Road Haulage Association’s phrase ‘green haulage is efficient haulage’ sums up what the industry is working towards. And when every haulier joins us in making that their mantra, it will be benefit operators and consumers alike.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Julie Brammer .