Freight driver support

Summary

The installation of on-board computers providing data on fuel consumption, emissions and other environmental impacts was part of Malmo Lorry Centre’s ambitious efforts towards greater security, improved quality and lower environmental impacts.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Malmo Lorry Centre (Malmo LBC) is a major player in the Malmo transport market, operating 150 vehicles a day in the city as well as on long-distance trips. It has access to 250 heavy goods vehicles and 300 drivers organised through 180 independent vehicle-owner companies.

As part of its efforts to lower the environmental impact of its business, Malmo LBC decided to install a system of vehicle computers in eight heavy goods lorries that can be used to follow up on its drivers’ environmental performance. The same computers could be used to provide data allowing for the optimisation of goods loading, distribution and planning, thus reducing the number of unloaded kilometres travelled.

Specific goals were to achieve:

• more efficient transport planning;
• greater fuel efficiency and fewer emissions;
• improved load rates (by 10 percent);
• fewer unloaded kilometres driven (by 2.31 million km/year);
• better coordination for goods distribution;
• faster and more efficient order processing;
• more efficient partnerships with other players in the transport sector;
• an improved working environment and better driver safety;
• optimised reporting and evaluation of significant environmental impacts; and
• efficient evaluation of specific customer needs.

Progress

The initial aim was to test the functionality of the concept of vehicle/driver support by installing computers in 150 heavy goods vehicles during the project period. However, when it was found that none of the screened equipment could adequately record the data required by Malmo LBC, the measure in fact became a technology development project and computers were installed in seven vehicles in order to develop the optimal system to meet the needs of Malmo LBC.

Outcomes

The conclusion that no supplier of vehicle computers could provide the data required by Malmo LBC in order to fulfil its objects was based on an evaluation of three suppliers, two of which were selected for detailed testing. Since the scope of the measure therefore had to be changed to one of technological development, it became possible to take into account the needs and opinions of drivers when developing the system (in relation to issues such as screen size and user-friendliness), although no quantitative results were available by the end of the project period.