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sustainabletimes
01732 759725
transport
It is estimated that
at any time almost
one third of heavy
goods vehicles
on our roads are
empty...
Back-loading
made easy
UK businesses spend billions of
pounds on logistics every year and
can make big savings in time, money
and carbon emissions by running their
fleets in a more sustainable way.
There are many ways to do this:
n
Monitoring CO2 emissions helps
identify inefficiencies and aids
planning and budgeting;
n
Investment in new technology, such
as aerodynamic vehicles, low rolling
resistant tyres and automated manual
transmissions, can lower carbon
emissions;
n
Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving
(SAFED), i.e. smooth braking and
maintaining correct tyre pressures,
improves fuel efficiency; and
n
Adapting route planning and
scheduling to maximise vehicle
capacity or make more journeys at
night when there is less traffic saves
How back-loading helps
reduce unnecessary
journeys and improve the
sustainability of delivery
fleets
fuel and could reduce the number of
vehicles needed.
Another method long-used by
hauliers is back-loading – matching
capacity in empty vehicles with
available ‘loads’.
It is estimated that at any time
almost one third of heavy goods vehicles
on our roads are empty as they return to
their depots after having made a delivery.
This wastes fuel, money and drivers’ time
and adds to congestion on UK roads.
To overcome the problem, a growing
number of small businesses, including
hauliers, couriers, retailers and farmers,
are back-loading. This is not a new
Exhibition venue Olympia London is
introducing a freight sharing service that could
slash exhibitors’ transport costs by up to 20%
and reduce unnecessary freight journeys into
central London.
The service, which integrates into the existing
vehicle booking site (see below), takes data from
exhibitors that are already using the system –
including their start and end points and how much
space they have to offer or need – and identifies
opportunities for users to share a vehicle.
It was created by Carbon Voyage after analysis
of vehicle data showed that two out of every six
journeys to or from the venue had the same point
of origin/destination.
Siân Richards, acting Sustainability Advisor at
Olympia London, said: “The system works well for
Olympia London as our large number of shows
means it is very feasible for a freight company to
deliver items for the build-up of one show and
then pick up from a show that is breaking down.”
As an added service, Olympia London is able to
provide users with carbon impact statements.
The online vehicle booking service is itself a
recent innovation. Introduced about 12 months ago
to streamline the entry of vehicles to the exhibition
site, it enables drivers to book half-hour delivery
slots so that organisers have advance warning of
likely traffic levels.
Freight sharing to slash Olympia exhibitor transport costs
concept, but the need to reduce costs
and work smarter has made it more
popular.
Traditionally, a team of people round
a traffic desk would endlessly make calls
to find hauliers who had empty space
in vehicles travelling between certain
locations. In 2000, to streamline the
process in his own business, haulage
company owner Richard Newbold
created an online platform, Returnloads.
net, that has since become a trusted
resource for hundreds of hauliers.
Businesses across the UK can post
available ‘loads’ or deliveries on the
site and wait until hauliers or couriers
contact them to fill their empty
return journey. The system also works
vice-versa, with couriers and hauliers
able to advertise their empty return
journeys and the vehicle they’re driving.
Businesses can then get in touch with
loads that need delivering.
Newbold and his team continue
to develop the site with new features,
including a user review system and
a Returnloads smartphone app that
enables drivers to look for loads to pick
up from the comfort of their cab. Each
day, Returnloads lists 3,000-4,000 loads
and vehicles available for matching.
So why should businesses use back-
loading? According to Richard Newbold,
the main reason is to save money. “One
of our regular users last year saved a
significant percentage of their running
costs by using back-loads, making a big
difference to their bottom line,” he said.
Another uses back-loading for around
50 journeys a month, and in doing so
has saved approximately £25,000 a year
and avoided the need to buy and run its
own fleet of vehicles.
Back-loading also has impressive
environmental benefits. Defra figures
from 2012 show that for every kilometre
it travels, an empty articulated 33
tonne+ lorry creates 0.69872 kg of
CO2. Driving from Land’s End to John
O’Groats in an empty lorry would emit
around one tonne of carbon dioxide –
comparable to boiling a kettle 20,000
times or driving 3,000 miles in an
average petrol car.
“Every business is looking for ways
to save money, and making your fleet
more efficient and sustainable is a great
way to do this,” explained Newbold.
“Back-loading is such a simple concept,
but many businesses don’t know about
it and how easy it now is thanks to
technology.”
For more information on ways to
make your fleet more sustainable visit:
Richard Newbold,
owner,
Returnsloads.net
