Reducing carbon emissions - 1 truck, 1 community at a time
Tread lightly, carry more.
Maxiloda grew out of a customer problem. How to maximise moving more goods without having to put more trucks on the road. To reduce waste in all its forms. Our vision at Maxiloda is to tread lightly on the planet to protect it for the future, one truck, one community at a time. Our double stacking pallet systems for trucks and trailers are an innovative transport solution that allow our customers to move more with less.
The current reliance on fossil fuels to power vehicles, aeroplanes, trains and vessels, coupled with the ever-increasing demand for freight, puts the transport industry front and centre in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change. In 2018 freight and passenger transportation amounted to 28% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US, or 1,870 million tons of CO2 equivalent, states the Environmental Protection Agency. One truck has the same carbon footprint as 14 people in a year, that’s 220 tons of carbon dioxide emissions!
The numbers are huge, the task is overwhelming, and action is needed urgently. Switching to alternative fuels, leveraging automation and adopting more efficient practices are common themes across the transport industry to trigger a reduction in emissions. But it’s not a straight forward journey, as sustainable solutions are not always readily available in freight. A number of global companies, such as Deutsche Post DHL Group, have a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 across their fleet by investing in green technologies. Governments are putting in place legislation to reduce emissions, such as California requiring the sale of all medium- to heavy-duty vehicles to be net-zero by 2045. EU regulations require a 15% reduction in emissions from large trucks by 2025, and 30% from 2030 on.
The Covid-19 pandemic had both a positive and negative effect on CO2 emissions. 2020 saw a 7% reduction as a result of fewer cars and trucks on the road during lockdowns across the globe. We are already seeing this reduction in CO2 emissions reverse as global economies ramp up and push to get vaccines distributed amongst the population.
The move to electrification and alternative fuels are crucial for the trucking industry to become net-zero. These sustainable alternatives are reducing in price and increasing in performance, and coupled with government regulations and company targets will have a positive impact on CO2 emissions in the coming years. However, there is still an enormous global fleet of fossil-fuelled trucks on the road that won’t be retired for a while yet, how can we improve the sustainability of an existing fleet, and reduce its impact on the environment?
There are several ways that trucking companies and drivers can make their existing fleet more efficient, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Regular maintenance – improved fuel efficiency, and safer on the road
Stop idling – an idling truck can consume 1 gallon of fuel per hour, according to the American Trucking Association. Reducing idling time would save significant amounts of fuel, and be kinder to the environment.
Optimise routing – fleets can save on fuel and increase productivity by choosing the shortest, most convenient routes. GPS trackers can be really beneficial to locate and choosing drivers close to a certain delivery spot, make efficient pick-ups etc.
Eliminating empty miles – empty trucks not only generate zero revenue, they incur transport costs and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing empty miles will have a significant impact on improving a fleet’s profitability and sustainability.
Reducing empty and underutilised miles will benefit the environment, and could actually generate additional revenue. Collaborating with other companies to identify freight opportunities, i.e. filling the empty truck on the return route.
Load consolidation or sharing throughout the supply chain, where collaboration with other companies to consolidate partial loads, thereby increasing the payload, resulting in reduced transport costs and fewer trucks on the road.
Optimising unit load is critical for reducing empty miles. Maximising the load of a single truck rather than two partially filled trucks will have a significant impact on transport costs and on the environment. Consider the majority of trucks are carrying pallets, and a sizeable percentage of these are only partially loaded carrying a single layer of pallets. Why? Items are fragile and likely will be damaged with another pallet stacked on top; one truck is for chilled goods and another is for ambient; there is no docking bay to get a forklift into the truck to double stack.
Maxiloda’s double-stacking pallet systems enables you to increase your load without putting additional trucks on the road. The Maxiloda Glide’s innovative rolling trolley system allows loading with a forklift from ground level, eliminating the need for a docking bay. The second tier of pallets are held securely in place ensuring there is no damage to product, and the system can be set up to carry mixed loads of ambient, chilled and frozen product.
Sustainability is at the heart of Maxiloda. We listen to our customers, to their communities, and to the environment to drive our innovation.