Spotlight On New Diesel Trucks: Call For Ban From 2040

If you work in the courier industry, you can’t help but be well aware of the push to go green. Of course, this is a positive for everyone – Mother Earth gets the attention she deserves, couriers get cleaner working conditions (running on hydrogen is much better for the lungs than diesel) and the general community is happy that the environment is being taken into consideration.

With environmentally-conscious efforts becoming much more mainstream, it seems there’s always a new proposal in the works. One of the most recent is from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), a government-appointed body launched in 2015 to help identify infrastructure priorities and needs. The NIC is proposing that by 2040, all new diesel truck sales should be banned. Their aim is to decarbonise road haulage by 2050.

Where Did It Come From?

The idea to ban new diesel truck sales by 2040 initially came from one particular report by the NIC: ‘Better Delivery: The Challenge for Freight’. While some, such as the Road Haulage Association (RHA), have said that this isn’t possible, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has disagreed. Even though the NIC would like for this to be officially announced by the end of 2021, the FTA think this is an entirely feasible target – if the government gives appropriate support, of course.

The Details

Whether you’re in the courier industry or not, it’s easy to understand the bare bones of what this proposal is... well… proposing: by 2040, no one should be buying new diesel trucks. Here are some of the more intricate details of this bid:

• Energy distributors should be required by Ofgem (the government regulator of electricity and gas markets) to implement infrastructure upgrades that allow for alternative solutions like storing energy. That way, large-scale freight vans can be charged at depots.
• Infrastructure on the whole should support hydrogen or battery electric HGVs better. For example, they should be able to refuel easily at rest areas and depots on major freight routes.
• Better planning and road pricing should be implemented as a way to reduce congestion and unnecessary traffic. Consolidation centres could play a part in this, and land should be made available for them. This way, partially-loaded vehicles won’t have to enter areas that are extremely congested.

In Relation to the Courier Industry

Overall, it seems the courier industry and the logistics sector in general are willing to accept these changes and potentially make a permanent switch away from fuels that are carbon-based – which would result in far fewer people even having the desire to buy new diesel trucks. However, to make this a reality, representatives have stated that they would like government funding and infrastructure to support them during this switch to green.

An environmentally-conscious world is actually one that fits in surprisingly well with the courier industry. The proposal for banning new diesel trucks doesn’t seem as though it will negatively affect logistics if we get government support.

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Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Connecting logistics professionals in the courier industry across the UK and Europe through their online platform, transport businesses are networked together, trading jobs and capacity through what is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.