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Decarbonizing road freight transport is difficult due to its reliance on fossil fuel internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). The role of powertrain electrification in achieving deep decarbonization in road freight transport was studied using a vehicle stock turnover model, focusing on Japan. Twelve vehicle types were considered; combining four powertrains, ICEV, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), battery electric vehicle (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV); and three vehicle size classes, normal, compact and mini-sized vehicles. A scenario-based approach was used; considering a Base scenario, and three alternative scenarios targeting powertrain electrification. Between 2012 and 2050, tank to wheel CO2 emissions decrease 42.8% in the Base scenario, due to the reduction of vehicle stock, the improvement of vehicle fuel consumption and the adoption of HEVs. Diffusion of FCEVs in normal vehicles and BEVs in compact and mini-sized vehicles achieves the largest tank to wheel CO2 emissions reductions, up to 44.6% compared with the 2050 baseline value. The net cash flow is positive over the whole time horizon, peaking at 6.7 billion USD/year in 2049 and reaching 6.6 billion USD/year by 2050. Powertrain electrification is not enough to achieve any of the CO2 emissions reduction targets in road freight transport.

This study combines official statistics on freight transportation and emissions to present the long-run development of the use of longer and heavier road vehicles (LHVs), modal split, road freight efficiency, and GHG emissions and air pollution following the increase in the maximum permissible vehicle weight in Sweden in 1990 and 1993. We find that LHVs were quickly incorporated in the vehicle fleet and that road freight efficiency of the largest vehicles increased after the reforms. There was no discernable break in modal split trends as the modal share for road continued its long-run development. We show that road transportation contributes by far the most to emission costs. The composition of the emissions from road freight changed after the weight reforms, with an increasing share of GHG-emissions.

Road freight transport contributes to a significant and growing share of greenhouse gas emissions. This study analyses the development of environmental practices and awareness of road freight hauliers and whether hauliers witness an interest from their shippers towards energy efficiency. Results of an original survey (N = 256) conducted in 2019 among Finnish hauliers are presented and compared with those from a similar survey completed in 2011 (N = 295). The results highlight the lack of improvement in hauliers’ environmental practices during a decade when ambitious climate goals were set. Even though hauliers share the view that emissions from road freight transport must be reduced in future, their environmental practices did not change much during the 2010s. The hauliers rarely perceive an interest from their shippers towards energy efficiency. The results show that hauliers should be supported and encouraged to pursue more environmentally aware practices. Shippers in the supply chain should be a driver, not an obstacle, to increasing road hauliers’ sustainability. There should be more communication between hauliers and supply chain actors, and environmental sustainability should gain more importance when selecting carriers.

The World Economic Crisis has increased such processes as poverty, discrimination and war. As a consequence, many people from Africa, Middle East and Asia started to immigrate to Europe. There were over one million unauthorized immigrants entering Europe in 2015. However, not all countries want and can accept refugees. A long-time frame for assessing asylum applications or frequent rejections encourages refugees to migrate illegally by intruding freight transport units to cross the border of their chosen European country. The intrusion of illegal immigrants into road freight units to cross borders without being noticed has caused a great deal of damage to the international freight transportation companies. This article presents results of the study aimed at investigation of peculiarities of illegal immigrant’s intrusions into road freight transport units moving along the corridor France – United Kingdom.

This study determines the dynamic linkages between road transport intensity, road transport passenger and road transport freight, and road carbon emissions in G20 countries in the presence of economic growth, urbanization, crude oil price, and trade openness for the period of 1990 to 2016, under the multivariate framework. This study employs the residual-based Kao and Westerlund cointegration technique to find long-run cointegration, and continuously updated bias-corrected (CUP-BC) and continuously updated fully modified (CUP-FM) methods to check the long-run elasticities between the variables. The long-run estimators’ findings suggest a positive and significant impact of road transport intensity, road passenger transport, road freight transport on road transport CO 2 emissions. Economic growth and urbanization are significant contributing factors in road transport CO 2 emissions, while trade openness and crude oil price significantly reduce road transport CO 2 emissions. The Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test results disclose unidirectional causality from road transport intensity and road transport freight to the road transport CO 2 emissions. However, the causality between road passenger transport and road transport CO 2 emissions is bidirectional. Finally, comprehensive policy options like subsidizing environmental-friendly technologies, developing green transport infrastructure, and enacting decarbonizing regulations are suggested to address the G20 countries’ environmental challenges.

By comparing two representative countries, Sweden and Germany, we study the impacts of different road freight transport policies. Sweden applies a time-based infrastructure charge, and has done so since the 1990ies. Germany has introduced distance-based charges and subsidized the purchase of low emission trucks. We find that the German road freight policy has resulted in substantially larger revenues and a cleaner truck fleet and mileage. Some support is found for that the German policy causes spill overs to the neighbouring countries as hauliers tend to use the cleanest trucks in countries with distance-based tolls. By comparing the actual composition of trucks using the Swedish network to a hypothetical case where the composition is the same as on the German toll roads, we estimate the environmental costs to be around € 39 million less per year in the latter case. This puts pressure on countries as Sweden to implement stronger policies.

The green logistics industry has the propensity to contribute to overall supply chain operationalisation and economic growth. The confluence of lean practices and green initiative paradigms for logistics activities minimises operational costs and environmental degradation. This study investigates the effects of lean logistics within the road freight network; analyses the opportunity costs engendering from adopting green logistics initiatives; and evaluates the relationship between lean practices and adopting green practices in logistics systems. An exploratory research design using a quantitative approach was adopted and univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical analysis was employed to analyse the data collected from 210 respondents. The study found that company policy and technological advances are key factors for the transport optimisation of lean and green practices and that logistics businesses could grow their operations by adopting lean practices

The past decade has seen many new freight transport models for use in transport planning by public authorities. Some of these models have developed new concepts, such as logistics modules, inclusion of transshipments, storage and sourcing and the determination of shipment size. This paper provides a review of the European literature on freight transport models that operate at the national or international level and have been developed since 2004. The introduction of elements of logistics thinking is identified as a common theme in recently developed models, and further worked out. Furthermore, ideas on what might be the next key developments in freight transport modelling are presented.

PurposeElectrification is a promising solution for decarbonising the road freight transport system, but it is challenging to understand its impact on the system. The purpose of this research is to provide a system-level understanding of how electrification impacts the road freight transport system. The goal is to develop a model that illustrates the system and its dynamics, emphasising the importance of understanding these dynamics in order to comprehend the effects of electrification.Design/methodology/approachThe main methodological contribution of the study is the combination of the multi-layer model with system dynamics methodology. A mixed methods approach is used, including group model building, impact analysis, and literature analysis.FindingsThe study presents a conceptual multi-layer dynamic model, illustrating the complex causal relationships between variables in the different layers and how electrification impacts the system. It distinguishes between direct and induced impacts, along with potential policy interventions. Moreover, two causal loop diagrams (CLDs) provide practical insights: one explores factors influencing electric truck attractiveness, and the other illustrates the trade-off between battery size and fast charging infrastructure for electric trucks.Originality/valueThe study provides stakeholders, particularly policymakers, with a system-level understanding of the different impacts of electrification and their ripple effects. This understanding is crucial for making strategic decisions and steering the transition towards a sustainable road freight transport system.

Objective: The objective of this technological article is to present a practical tool for calculating CO2 emissions based on fuel consumption applied in a small road freight transport company.   Theoretical Framework: There are 4 methods available in the literature for calculating CO2 emissions produced during cargo transport, which stand out for their applicability: (1) GHG Procol; (2) MNT; (3) DEFRA; and (4) GLEC. The authors (Leonardi & Baumgartner, 2004; Lewis et al., 2016) have methodologies for calculating emissions from freight transport, which currently present significant variability in the approaches and databases recommended. The main methodologies in this area are based on two main foundations: (1) fuel-based methodologies; (2) activity-based methodologies.   Method: The calculation methodology used is based on fuel consumption (bottom-up), which considered the characteristics of the target fleet, the number of vehicles and their technological phase, the actual intensity of fleet use in operation, and real fuel consumption.   Results and Discussion: From this initial information, it was possible to obtain the volume of CO2 emissions specific to the fleet, considering vehicles using regular diesel and biodiesel (S10). The results indicated a fleet CO2 emission of 1,643 tons per year with the use of biodiesel (S10), representing a 10.5% reduction compared to the total CO2 emission from regular diesel.   Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the field of [insert field of study]. These implications could encompass [list impacted areas or sectors].   Originality/Value: This technological article contributes to the presentation of a review of CO2 emission calculation models available in the literature and the selection of a methodology for easy application for small and medium-sized road freight transport companies.