Energy efficiency
Summary
Energy efficiency is the practice of delivering the same transportation service—moving people or freight—while using less energy. In road logistics, it means reducing fuel or electricity consumption per mile, per vehicle, or per ton-mile without compromising service quality. By improving vehicles, operations, and energy sources, fleets can cut costs, lower emissions, and boost reliability and overall performance.
What is Energy Efficiency?
Energy efficiency is the ability to deliver the same transport service—moving people or freight—while using less energy. In road transportation, it means reducing fuel or electricity consumption per mile, per vehicle, or per ton-mile without compromising service levels. Energy efficiency lowers operating costs, cuts emissions, and improves the overall performance and reliability of fleets.
How Energy Efficiency Works in Road Transportation
At its core, energy efficiency in road transportation is achieved by optimizing three areas: the vehicle, the operation, and the energy source. Vehicle-level improvements reduce the energy needed to overcome aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance. Operational practices ensure trucks and vans drive fewer unnecessary miles and spend less time idling. Finally, choosing cleaner, higher-efficiency energy sources further reduces overall energy intensity. Examples in freight include electric and hydrogen trucks, which illustrate evolving battery and hydrogen technologies, ranges, and duty cycles.
Common metrics include miles per gallon (mpg), liters per 100 km (L/100 km), kilowatt-hours per mile or km (kWh/mi or kWh/km) for electric vehicles, and gCO2e per ton-mile to measure freight intensity. Fleets track these KPIs by lane, vehicle class (e.g., vans, straight trucks, tractors), and load type to identify where efficiency gains have the strongest impact.
Industry Context for Road Transportation
In US road logistics, margins are thin and fuel (or electricity) is a major cost driver. Understanding fuel surcharges in U.S. trucking helps connect fuel consumption, pricing mechanics, and how efficiency initiatives stabilize total cost of ownership. Energy efficiency directly influences operating costs, service reliability, and compliance with CO2 standards and urban low-emission requirements.
Long-haul carriers emphasize aerodynamics, powertrain efficiency, consistent highway speeds, and minimizing empty miles. Last-mile operators focus on route density, stop-start efficiency, and right-sizing vehicles to duty cycles. Telematics and TMS data help planners manage energy-intensive factors such as congestion, idle time, and suboptimal load factors.
Real-World Examples
A national carrier reduces empty backhauls by 12% using dynamic load matching, improving energy efficiency measured as liters per ton-mile across key corridors.
An urban delivery fleet transitions 30% of routes to battery-electric vans and introduces eco-driving; combined changes cut energy use per stop by 25%.
A refrigerated fleet upgrades to low-rolling-resistance tires, installs trailer skirts, and implements strict tire-pressure management, delivering a 6–8% fuel improvement on highway runs.
Key Benefits and Components
Lower operating costs: Reduced fuel or electricity consumption translates to immediate savings across every route.
Emissions reduction: Improved energy efficiency lowers CO2, NOx, and particulate emissions, supporting ESG commitments and regulatory compliance.
Higher asset productivity: Better load factors and fewer empty miles increase utilization without adding vehicles.
Improved reliability and safety: Smoother driving and preventive maintenance reduce breakdowns and incidents.
Competitive advantage: Efficient fleets can offer more stable pricing and meet rising sustainability expectations from shippers.
Core Components
Vehicle technology
Aerodynamic aids (tractor roof fairings, trailer skirts, tail devices)
Low-rolling-resistance tires and proper tire inflation
Efficient powertrains (clean-diesel, hybrid systems, BEV drivetrains)
Start-stop systems and regenerative braking in urban operations
Operational excellence
Route optimization and geofencing to avoid congestion and detours (often enabled by a modern TMS with route optimization, telematics, and analytics)
Load planning to increase cube/weight utilization and reduce empty miles
Idle-reduction policies and anti-idle equipment
Driver training (eco-driving, speed governance, smooth acceleration)
Energy and maintenance
Alternative fuels and electrification where duty cycles allow
Depot charging strategies and smart charging for off-peak rates
Proactive maintenance (alignment, filters, telematics-driven alerts) as part of optimal fleet management practices
Data monitoring of KPIs (mpg, L/100 km, kWh/mi, gCO2e/ton-mile)
Conclusion
Energy efficiency in road transportation is the disciplined pursuit of moving the same freight with less energy through better vehicles, smarter operations, and cleaner energy. By tracking the right KPIs and acting on data—from route design and loading to driving behavior and vehicle technology—fleets can cut costs, reduce emissions, and improve service performance across both long-haul and last-mile operations.
FAQ on Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency means achieving the same output or service with less energy input. In road transport, it’s using less fuel or electricity per kilometer, vehicle, or ton‑kilometer without reducing service quality.
Common metrics include L/100 km, mpg, kWh/km for EVs, and gCO2e per ton‑km for freight. Fleets segment results by route, vehicle class, and load type to pinpoint improvements.
It lowers operating costs, reduces CO2, NOx, and particulates, improves asset utilization, and supports compliance with emissions rules and ESG targets. Efficient fleets are more reliable and competitive.
Combine vehicle technology (aerodynamics, low‑rolling‑resistance tires, efficient drivetrains) with operational excellence (route optimization, higher load factors, idle reduction, eco‑driving) and cleaner energy (electrification, smart charging).
Efficiency delivers the same service with less energy. Conservation reduces energy use by doing less or changing behavior (e.g., fewer trips). Both help cut costs and emissions.