Tackling the Issue of Empty Lorries: A Greener Future for Haulage

As you drive down the roads of the UK, you’ve likely passed countless lorries transporting various goods. Have you ever wondered what’s inside them? Food, fuel, furniture, perhaps? Surprisingly, a significant portion of these lorries may actually be carrying nothing at all. A startling statistic reveals that one in three lorries on Britain’s roads is driving empty.

Clemente Theotokis, co-founder of digital freight management firm Zeus, offers a clever way to determine if a truck is empty: check if its fourth set of wheels is touching the ground. These haulage vehicles often raise a set of wheels when they are only partially loaded or completely empty. The Department for Transport (DfT) reports that heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in the UK cover over three billion miles annually with no cargo on board. To put this into perspective, it’s equivalent to driving to the moon and back more than 6,500 times, or more than 5,000 years of non-stop driving.

This issue of empty lorries isn’t unique to the UK; it’s a global problem. In the European Union, one in five lorries on the road is empty, and in the United States, the number is almost 15%. These empty miles result in costs without generating any income, which becomes especially painful during periods of high fuel prices.

Moreover, the road freight industry is responsible for 53% of the transport sector’s CO2 emissions within global trade-related transport. Companies like Zeus are actively seeking ways to reduce these unnecessary journeys, costs, and emissions.

Clemente Theotokis highlights the industry’s reliance on outdated, manual methods and states that digital platforms like Zeus can help hauliers coordinate their journeys and share the load. He notes that approximately 150,000 trucks run empty every day due to the lack of access to work for trucking companies.

Zeus has created a digital marketplace that connects hauliers with local businesses in need of transportation. With 2,000 clients on board, the company promises to save them “north of 10%” in running costs. Zeus’s platform enables clients to view all available lorries and manages everything through web and mobile apps, eliminating paperwork.

However, transitioning this traditionally old-school industry to embrace technology and change its mindset poses a challenge. Some, like Jordan Shelvey, director of Shelvey Haulage, remain unconvinced about the feasibility of digital systems to handle the various variables that can occur during a journey, such as delays, setbacks, and accidents. Her family business relies on word-of-mouth coordination and doesn’t even have a website.

Despite the challenges, the road haulage industry is in the early stages of transformative change. Electrification of vehicles is gaining momentum, and digitization is on the rise. Dr. Maja Piecyk, a logistics professor, emphasizes that as international freight volumes are expected to double by 2050, the industry needs to address issues like empty running.

However, Dr. Piecyk also points out that many cases of empty running are unavoidable. For example, an oil tanker cannot return carrying milk, and refrigerated food must be transported at the correct temperature.

Digitization in the industry brings concerns of a potential “gig economy” that could exploit workers. However, companies like Chill-Chain, founded by Jack Fleming, are addressing this issue by exclusively working with established haulage companies, avoiding self-employed contractors. Chill-Chain’s software connects shippers and hauliers, allowing lorries to be filled instead of running empty. It also promotes collaboration between manufacturers, allowing them to transport part-full loads together in a single lorry.

This shift towards digital coordination not only saves costs but also significantly reduces emissions and fuel consumption. While traditional practices remain deeply entrenched in the industry, the winds of change are blowing, and a greener future for haulage is on the horizon.