Automotive Trucking Freight Aviation Systems Freight ∨

The True Cost of Freight

The freight system is essential to modern life.  For example, in 2005, an average of 68 tons of goods moved 15,310 miles in the United States for each U.S. citizen.

Yet freight comes with a large and growing environmental cost. At least 10 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions are linked to freight, along with 17 percent of U.S. fuel use.

The freight industry is facing intense pressure to reduce pollution and reliance on fossil fuels.

And that is where MOVE comes in:

MOVE works with clients across the freight industry -- including ships, barges, cargo air, rail, truck, and major freight users -- to radically reduce the fuel use necessary to deliver freight, while increasing profits for companies who take advantage of the new, greener economy.

Past clients include the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma and the U.S. Navy.

Because heavy trucking is such a large portion of freight, MOVE dedicates a practice to that alone (See Trucking).

Changing the System

MOVE believes there are two major stages to change in the freight industry:

• Near term: An increased demand to account for greenhouse gas emissions, and retrofits to improve the efficiency of existing technologies.
• Long term: The freight system must address radical shifts in technology (such as a move towards electrification), as well as new modes and paths of delivery that both reduce the impact of the system and adapt to the new products that will dominate a greener economy.

The MOVE team can help clients prepare for and profit from all these changes.

MOVE uses well-developed capabilities, including strategic analysis, life-cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, design workshops and advanced breakthrough vehicle design to support our client engagements.

The Paths to Efficiency

There are two main paths for our client engagements:

• Tackle systematic inefficiencies that waste energy and produce unnecessary pollution
  For example, MOVE worked with the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma to devise a port sustainability program via an Innovation Lab with players from across the value chain to improve the environmental performance and business strategy.
• Improve the efficiency of individual freight vehicles
  MOVE applies our end-use efficiency design philosophy to freight vehicles. The Lab mentioned above identified electrified yard trucks as a lever to achieve fewer emissions. We are using our technical expertise and contacts to design an electrified yard truck for maximum efficiency and performance. Our current model finds that such a truck could have a life-cycle cost saving of $87,000, and use 70 percent less energy than the diesel norm.

For further information regarding consulting and research opportunities, please Contact Us.