When it comes to keeping the country going, haulage is one of the most important industries out there. However, in order to make the change towards a more sustainable future for the UK, it’s also an industry that will need to consider more environmentally friendly practices as time goes on.
By nature, logistics and supply chain management might seem challenging to change into a more environmentally friendly industry. However, there are things drivers and haulage companies in the UK can do to adapt their practices and help reduce their impact on the environment. We’ve outlined four ways this can be done:
CONSIDER CHANGING YOUR FUEL TYPE
Electric and biogas vehicles are on the rise, and with the UK’s ambitious target of zero emissions by 2050, there’s only going to be more of them on the road as time goes on. These types of vehicles are considered more environmentally friendly because they use electricity and sustainable gas as fuel, rather than petrol or diesel, which are made from unsustainable fossil fuels. Fossil fuels release carbon emissions into the air when they are burnt, which contribute to issues like pollution and global warming.
Adapting your fleet to include more electric or hybrid vehicles can help reduce your impact on the environment, making your haulage practices more environmentally friendly. Switching to electric or biogas vehicles may also save you money on fuel, and according to EDF Energy, can even cut your maintenance costs, as electric vehicles often require less maintenance than a regular engine.
The difficultly facing the industry is having a sufficient infrastructure to operate heavy goods covering several hundred miles a day across the span of the UK and beyond. There is also a higher upfront cost that comes with these vehicles as they are not produced to the same volumes and the technology is still new and adapting.
PLAN AHEAD FOR MORE EFFICIENT JOURNEYS
Planning a route ahead can help avoid hotspots for traffic and disruption, but did you know it can also help you cut emissions too? By planning specifically to ensure your vehicles are travelling for shorter times, you can reduce your emissions and make your deliveries faster and more efficient.
This is beneficial for drivers too, as if they are equipped with a sat nav, they can automatically select the fastest route. Live traffic updates help to avoid long queues, which can extend driving time and in turn, increase emissions.
SWITCH OFF THE ENGINE
It’s no secret that leaving the engine running / idling when you’re not planning to use the vehicle isn’t a good move, but it can often be done without realising at long traffic stops or when planning your journey before setting off.
To avoid this, it’s important to make use of opportunities to stop and switch off your vehicle if you’re not going to be moving off for a while, like truck stops and service stations. An idling truck can use up to 5 litres of diesel an hour from a cold engine and up to 2 litres an hour from a warm engine. This is why at Cargo Express, we train drivers extensively on the importance of reducing their idling when at a stop.
PLAN FOR RETURN LOADS
It is estimated that at any one time over a third of heavy goods vehicles in the UK are empty. This results in wasted fuel, money and time. It is also creates congestion.
Planning vehicles to collect material after their initial deliveries while heading back to their depots means they cover two routes and operations under one vehicle. With backloads not just being a more efficient solution for customers, it means less heavy goods on the road with more productivity. Less trips result in lower emissions.
Learn more about how we encourage a more sustainable logistics operation, and our plans for a more sustainable operation in the future.
DO YOU NEED LOGISTIC TRANSPORT SERVICES?
Cargo Express is an experienced haulage company in the West Midlands and Shropshire and operates over 90 vehicles ranging from vans to articulated heavy goods vehicles. To keep in line with changes in legislation and the environment, we strive to incorporate environmentally friendly practices throughout our services.
If you’re looking for support with heavy goods transport and are looking for a haulage company in Birmingham, Telford, the West Midlands and surrounding areas, our expert team provide a range of solutions, including time critical transport and warehouse and storage management.
Most importantly, we’re proud of our commitment to excellent customer service. If you’d like to find more about the services we can offer, please get in touch with our team by calling 0121 384 1323 or emailing traffic@cargoexpress.co.uk.