About one-third of all goods vehicle travel is empty. For vehicles over 8.5 tons gross, this apparent wastage amounts to about £1400 m per annum at 1978 operating costs, and contributes significantly to lorry nuisance. The report describes a study of why so much empty running takes place; it contains an analysis of vehicle operations, examines the economics of return loading and attempts to assess how much empty running might be reduced by increased return loading. On the basis of a series of fairly conservative assumptions, it is concluded that modest amounts of empty travel might be saved. For example, increased return loading by platform vehicles could reduce empty travel by vehicles over 8.5 tons gross by 3.5 per cent, 150 million vehicle kilometres per annum, giving an annual cost saving of around £48 m (1978) and an annual fuel saving of around 10 million gallons. A number of suggestions are made for increasing the amounts of return loading, based on improved communications between consignors and vehicle operators and the provision of guarantees to protect the parties involved in return loading. (Author/publisher)
Abstract