Towards a greener trucking future

The technology available to truck drivers and operators to help them work safely and more efficiently is vast

NEW ZEALAND’S COMMITMENT TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE gas (GHG) levels by 30% (on 2005 levels) by 2030 poses “a special challenge” for the road transport industry.

Because, with heavy freight haulage reckoned to account for nearly 25% of NZ’s road transport GHG emissions, transport operators have limited options, suggest Teletrac Navman’s Mats Dahlstedt and Michael Barnard.

“The industry has far fewer commercially viable options for non-diesel alternatives than the light vehicle industry, where EVs and hybrids are becoming commonplace,” says transport solutions specialist Barnard.

“Heavy freight haulage can’t easily be substituted – the power requirement to haul tonnes of goods is enormous and it isn’t as simple as electrifying vehicles. Fossil fuel-powered vehicles are the most flexible mode of transport in our long, narrow, hilly country and the primary mechanism to bring goods to our stores and homes – so a fundamental piece of the economic jigsaw.”

As things stand, according to the Road Transport Forum, the transport industry employs 32,868 Kiwis (2% of the workforce), has a gross annual turnover of $6billion, and transports 93% of the total tonnes of freight moved in NZ.

“Try substituting that!” says Barnard – adding that, in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the industry’s emissions need to decline by around 30% before 2030: “On the current trajectory, the Paris targets will not be met.

“The good news is that there are many ways to reduce emissions and fuel consumption, and they do not all require an expensive revamp of your fleet.

“In fact, reducing carbon emissions can be done with the technology available to us today – it’s a matter of uptake across the industry and the population, not just for the government to undertake new policies. But what can we do?”

Barnard answers his own question, suggesting that Teletrac Navman’s Australian-based Mats Dahlstedt and Temuka truck driver Johnny Baxter have some practical ideas on how operators and drivers can significantly reduce carbon emissions from their trucks.

“You can start today by using simple insights from technology

Top left & above right: Temuka Transport driver Johnny Baxter started out with the simple motivation of beating a workmate in driving fuel efficiently by using the onboard technology in his Volvo....and ended up winning Volvo Trucks’ global Fuelwatch Challenge in 2017 Above left: Teletrac Navman’s Mats Dahlstedt

and adjusting driver behaviour,” says solution integration specialist Dahlstedt.

He says that he and his team “spend most of our days helping customers reduce their overall carbon emissions. We do this using insights from fleet management technology – by translating data into effective actions and decisions that companies can adopt straight away.

“These reductions not only help their bottom line, but improve their sustainability profile, something that’s getting more important by the day, as consumers and businesses share a heightened environmental awareness, and contracts for jobs now citing sustainability practices as a requirement.

“Potential customers are actively seeking information on the green credentials and sustainability efforts of any brand or business. This includes the provenance of goods, the methods of production, and how they’ve been transported.

“If you can be seen to make a positive step in tackling a major polluting part of your business, it can help you maintain existing contracts and pick up new ones in the future.”

Besides helping reduce emissions, tracking technology also provides fleet operators with a measurement on the total carbon emissions generated by their fleet, says Dahlstedt.

“To further increase your sustainable profile and be the operator of choice, transport companies can use this fleet data to partially or fully offset your carbon emissions with a NZ carbon offsetting provider, such as CarbonClick, Enviro-Mark Solutions and Ekos Rainforest Carbon Boutique.

“This way you help invest in beneficial climate projects like planting forests or green energy projects, while at the same time minimising your company’s carbon footprint.”

Dahlstedt continues: “EVs are a great option for companies running light vehicles, that require their team to run about town and whose tasks are short. Yet for businesses running heavy vehicles or requiring a lot of country miles, that is not yet a realistic solution.

“While the battery range of passenger EVs is increasing with every new model, there is still some way to go before electrified truck technology gets to a point where it’s feasible and cost effective to drive long distances with heavy cargo.

“Currently, trucks using hydrogen-powered fuel cells look to be a viable option for the future – yet they’re still not quite there on range compared to fossil-fuelled vehicles.

“When working to short deadlines, delivering goods from the bottom of the South Island to the top of the North Island, you can’t afford to compromise on range.

“Instead, as we’ve seen at Teletrac Navman, transport operators have started to look towards technology and the insights that it provides to reduce fuel usage and emissions.”

According to Teletrac Navman’s 2019 telematics benchmark report, by adopting technology like telematics, companies have saved an average of 12.7% in fuel costs annually, with a corresponding reduction in emissions.

Barnard turns to the performance of Temuka Transport driver Johnny Baxter four years ago, when he was crowned the most fuel efficient truck driver in the world – by winning Volvo Trucks’ Fuelwatch Challenge in Sweden.

Baxter, then 27, was the youngest driver in the competition and beat more than 4000 truckies from 13 countries – outperforming his nearest rival in the final by more than 10%.

Volvo says that the Fuelwatch Challenge is “a testament to the fact that skilled driving can have a direct impact on safety, fuel consumption, profitability and carbon footprint.”

Says Barnard: “Translated into a real-life context, the competition margins offer significant emission reduction potential. For instance, during an average long-haul operation of 150,000 kilometres, the on-road fuel efficiency margins could result in 46,500 fewer litres being used per truck each year.

“The combined fuel savings of the winners in each category were more than 15%. In other words, fuel efficient driving, in itself, has the potential to take us halfway towards the goal of a 30% reduction by 2030!

“Initially then, the goal for the trucking industry should be to take maximum advantage of existing technologies to reduce emissions quickly, while also stepping up its R&D efforts on zeroemissions technology.

“Battery charging and hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure will

Above left: Transport operators should take maximum advantage of existing technology including Teletrac Navman’s fleet management solutions to quickly reduce emissions Above right: Michael Barnard Below: Volvo says that skilled driving, utilising its existing onboard technology, can have a direct impact on safety, fuel consumption, profitability and carbon footprint. Baxter, at the wheel of his Temuka Transport Volvo, has provided the perfect example of what’s possible

also need to be standardised to enable wider rollout. But until low-emissions and zero-emission trucks become a viable option for businesses, fleet management technology goes a long way to reduce your company’s carbon emissions.

“GPS technology provides the data needed to make operations as efficient as possible and assist operators in measuring and benchmarking the fleet. Teletrac Navman software can capture and evaluate fleet fuel usage, trip distance and CO2 emissions, enabling operators to set and measure sustainability goals and report on these successes to their customers. Having said that, a large number of transport businesses who use GPS fleet tracking are still not utilising the CO2 emissions tracking features.”

Continues Barnard: “Don’t forget maintenance. A well-maintained fleet is the foundation of any fuel efficiency drive – from engine maintenance, to tyre health and wheel alignment.

“Telematics technologies can help you stay on top of vehicle maintenance, allowing you to track and monitor the engine, transmission, steering and other systems to ensure they’re always fit for use.

“Fuel use, tyre rotation, idle time and fluid levels are constantly monitored to ensure a greener and more efficient fleet. By checking that vehicles are used efficiently and that drivers aren’t expending fuel unnecessarily; technology can even help turn all your drivers into an army of Johnny Baxters.”

Speeding, sharp cornering, harsh braking and other bad driving habits are “not only unsafe, but they also contribute to unnecessary fuel burn. In fact, aggressive drivers who accelerate and brake rapidly use between 15% and 30% more fuel on the highway,” says Barnard, calling on evidence in a government study.

“Alerting drivers whenever these behaviours occur allows them to correct themselves and improve their habits in the future.”

Barnard concludes: “Emissions targets represent challenges for the transport industry, it’s true – particularly when operators have to balance societal demand to minimise environmental impacts against staying competitive and meeting customer deadlines.

“By taking advantage of technology and training drivers in efficient fuel-saving driving techniques, the industry is headed for a greener, cleaner and brighter future.” T&D

When you’re building the future today, you need a solid foundation. Since the late 1970s HEB Construction has built the infrastructure and facilities that keep the country moving. Like all big projects, partnership is the name of the game. And CAL Isuzu are their partner of choice for vehicles that help HEB deliver every time. You could say it’s been a very constructive relationship.