The heavy goods sector needs to continue looking for methods to reduce its carbon footprint despite already making large advances, says truck-listing website Truck Locator.
It has produced a white paper examining the environmental impact of the logistics and transport sectors in the UK. The report focused on all sectors including passenger car, maritime and air transport.
Its key findings conclude that the most environmentally hazardous sector in the UK is the heavy goods vehicle market, because it accounts for 21% of all transport CO2 emissions produced in the UK, despite only 468,900 HGVs being registered out of the 35.3 million vehicles on the UK’s roads.
The report also looked at the rail sector and Truck Locator drew the conclusion that in terms of freight usage the HGV sector was still the most popular choice, with more than 84% of goods are transported by road haulage vehicles.
While the white paper suggests the industry should be doing more to reduce the carbon footprint of HGVs, it is quick to acknowledge how far the sector has come by alluding to the improvements made to diesel engines, and the advancement in truck technology, design and aerodynamics.
It adds that compared to the 1970s, fuel consumption on the average 40-tonne truck has dropped significantly, and now an HGV would use in the region of 30 litres of fuel to cover 100km, instead of 50 litres.
DAF Trucks suggested in the report that drivers and fleet managers need a greater understanding about running their HGV operations more efficiently, as modern trucks can carry heavier payloads, travel at higher average speeds and be more productive than ever before.
It also points to fuel efficiency being an essential driver in reducing the carbon footprint of HGV sector. The Dutch truck manufacturer, added, “It doesn’t matter how that litre is consumed: in a Ford Fiesta, the latest Land Rover or a 44-tonne XF105. One litre of diesel releases exactly the same amount of CO2 Either the diesel fuel should not be burnt at all, or it should be consumed in the most efficient way – by minimising the quantity of diesel consumed in every journey.”
