No one should be in any doubt of the impact environmental measures will continue to have on Ireland’s transport industry. The government has been absolutely clear about the need to reduce carbon emissions. In line with Ireland’s participation in the Kyoto Protocol and EU agreements, Ireland’s National Climate Change Strategy calls for an annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 3% in the period 2008-2012 – over 17 million tonnes in total.
In 2006, the last year for which figures are available, transport emissions made up almost 20% of the national total; road transport accounted for 97% of that. And while better road infrastructure will actually reduce emissions through the reduction in congestion, plans for new motorways will not let hauliers off the hook. Not only has the EU called for ever cleaner fuels, but it wants to reduce the number of heavy vehicles on the road.
Hauliers have to work to make their operations as efficient as possible through effective load planning and route scheduling; implementation of the right technology to help manage the workforce, as well as the fleet; regular vehicle maintenance; driver training; and of course, an increased sharing of vehicles to minimise empty running.
And that’s where Independent Express comes in. Being a key member and founder of The Pallet Network, Independent achieves better vehicle utilisation while covering less miles through sharing the distribution of pallets. This not only reduces the carbon emissions but at the same time allows us to provide a better service to our customers. The rest of the industry should be green with envy!