Almost half of all container trucks carry no load

Multiple shipping containers stacked variously in different colours; with Maersk, MSC, Maersk, Evergreen, Hamburg Sud logos; blue sky above. — *Almost half of all container trucks in Sweden are driven empty – all images of Eskilstuna Kombiterminal: Chalmers University of Technology*

In-depth study of container transport in Sweden reveals that roughly 1 in every 2 road trips is made empty, with no load on board, yet still contributes to congestion and typically creates polluting emissions.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have analysed Swedish freight traffic between 2016 and 2019, and found almost half (44-46%) of all truck trips with containers took place without a load.

In total, the empty trips accounted for about a third of the total mileage of freight traffic.

This detailed picture of journeys that emerges from the calculation models has led to the provision of data-led scientific guidance for more efficient container transport, with lower costs and reduced emissions.

The climate impacts associated with freight are sizeable. In 2019, global transport accounted for around 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, with road traffic the largest source of sector emissions.

Simple geography matters most

Multiple shipping containers, either burgundy or cream, viewed stacked in u-shape; various logos, most prominent being MSC; blue sky above.

Greater efficiency is key to reducing emissions from freight transport. Containers play a central role in world trade, as they can be moved between ships, trains and trucks. However, after unloading, there is not always new cargo nearby, which means the container must be moved before it can be used again.

Redundancy still adds to congestion and pollution, says Violeta Roso, Associate Professor at Chalmers:

“A large part of container transport does not carry any goods, but still takes up road capacity and requires fuel, infrastructure and working hours. This means costs and emissions that we want to avoid.”

Interestingly, the empty trips were unevenly distributed. About 77% took place within the same region; and the start and end destinations had a greater impact on the probability than the industry involved.

In the counties of Blekinge, Västra Götaland, Skåne and Kalmar, journeys were less likely to be empty when starting in the region, than ending there. All four have major ports where imports exceed exports.

Plus planned logistical efficiency is in evidence, notes Iván Sánchez-Díaz, Associate Professor at Chalmers:

“Empty trips were also significantly shorter than those with cargo. This indicates that trucks are often redirected to limit the distance with empty containers.”

Tips for performance and efficiency

The research models do take into account the differences between geographical location and industry type.

These distinctions help identify where measures can have the greatest effect, explains Roso:

“The models show which origins, destinations and sectors have the highest probability of empty container trips. This makes it possible to target efforts more precisely, for example towards port regions, or certain industries.”

In the study, the researchers offer suggestions to help industry optimise performance and efficiency:

Hauliers can improve the planning of return loads;
Shipping companies can share more information about available containers and where they are needed;
Freight owners and freight forwarders can coordinate export shipments with available containers;
Ports and terminals can improve the storage, groupage, and replacement of empty containers;
Public actors can support common data standards and digital platforms that facilitate coordination.

Empty container trips are a global challenge and the measures are widely applicable outside Sweden.

Causes of empty relocation

So why do so many trips get made with no load to carry?

Well, it is simply not always possible to match empty containers with return cargo. Goods may be missing, just not found in the right place, or at the right time. Also, the container can be of the wrong size, condition, or equipment. It can also be the case that ownership and contract terms prevent other actors from using it.

In addition, hauliers, freight forwarders, shipping companies, ports, terminals and freight owners often plan transport separately. Information on containers, goods, times and agreements is not always shared.

So, empty relocation is not only a transport problem, but also a question of organisation and coordination.

TOMPOS project funding

The scientific article Containerized Truck Movements in Sweden Payload and Empty Trip Modeling appears in the Transportation Journal, official publication of the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). Its authors are: Violeta Roso, Iván Sánchez-Díaz and Juan Pablo Castrellon, from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; and Lokesh Kumar Kalahasthi, from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Tirupati.

The research project was funded by the Swedish Energy Agency as part of project TOMPOS (Increased Transport Efficiency Through Reduced Empty Positioning of Containers).

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