🕒 Article read time: 3 minutes
Digital Catapult to cut truck emissions by 15-30%
UK logistics is under pressure to decarbonise without compromising service levels and increasing efficiency by reducing empty running is often cited as a way to achieve this goal.
It is a well understood concept that historically has been challenging to implement in practice and 30% of trucks on UK roads are running with empty loads. Digital Catapult, a technology innovation organisation, could have a practical solution and it has announced the results of a pilot programme which it claims have improved vehicle fill rates by 9%, reduced overall transport costs by 37% and cut CO2 emissions by 15-30%.
The pilot scheme, the Logistics Living Lab, was delivered by Digital Catapult in partnership with AF Blakemore & Son Ltd, the company behind SPAR convenience stores, to explore how a shared digital infrastructure could establish more intelligent vehicle slot filling, routing, and tracking.
The trial ran in a real-world industrial environment matching vehicle transport capacity with shipment needs across multiple UK organisations. Through a combination of distributed ledger technology (DLT), the internet of things (IoT) and optimisation algorithms, Digital Catapult claims AF Blakemore & Son Ltd. achieved a 37% decrease in overall transport costs and a 9% improvement in vehicle fill rate.
According to Digital Catapult, scaling of the solution would allow competing logistics providers to safely share information on available truck space across their collective fleets, without the need for a single party to have full control or visibility of the entire system.
Phil Roe, President at Logistics UK said, “Decarbonisation is the biggest challenge of the age and the pressure on the logistics sector to play our part is significant. We must deliver this in line with our efforts to overcome challenges in trade, insufficient infrastructure and a shortage of skills.
"What the Logistics Living Lab project has demonstrated is that digital technologies and close industry collaboration can play a crucial role in accelerating the journey to net zero, allowing UK logistics businesses to focus on optimising their operations to contribute to boosting growth for the UK economy.”
The project’s activities and outcomes are now detailed in a newly published report, accessible through the Digital Supply Chain Hub.
More from The Green Miles: Logistics UK responds to SAF Mandate aviation fuel plan announcement
Published On: 03/01/2025 14:22:20
