Dive Brief:
- Volvo Trucks North America aims to tackle empty miles through a new service that matches trucks with loads based on location, price, route and driver availability, according to a Sept. 10 press release.
- Through the new Load Platform platform, Volvo aggregates data from over 40 load boards, all found in one place. The platform works with all truck brands and models, the company said.
- The service is free for Volvo customers and intended to help carriers streamline logistics operations to turn empty miles into revenue. Empty miles, also known as deadhead miles, are when a truck hauls an empty trailer, taking up extra costs and fuel, the company said.
Dive Insight:
Addressing empty or deadheading miles isn’t a new problem in the trucking industry.
Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Land O’Lakes and other carriers have expanded efforts in the recent years to tackle empty miles as a way to benefit operations and improve sustainability.
“Empty miles account for approximately 16 percent of all non-tank truck operations,” Volvo said in the release, citing a report from the American Transportation Research Institute. Fleets with five to 25 trucks had the lowest deadhead miles at 9% of all mileage, while truckload fleets with 251 to 1,000 trucks were at 17.7%, according to the report.
“Deadheading represents lost time, lost money, and unnecessary environmental impact for our customers and for the industry,” Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said in the release.
Volvo says Load Finder can help carriers recapture that lost revenue. The company collaborated with freight technology company Class8 to co-develop the data integration feed. Carriers can access the platform on both desktop and mobile devices. Another option is for fleets to connect their existing electronic logging devices and transportation management systems.
