Road freight productivity trends and prospects

1
Road freight productivity trends and prospects

• Jack McAuley, BTRE
• BTRE Transport Colloquium
• 13 - 14 June 2007

2
Outline

• Historical trends in articulated truck freight
  volumes and vehicle travel
• Projected increases in articulated truck freight
  volumes and vehicle travel
• Potential impact on vehicle traffic of potential
  regulatory changes
• Performance Based Standards
• Expansion of B-triple network

3
Road freight has grown at 5.8 per cent per annum
since 1971
Source BTRE Report 112
4
Articulated trucks account for most of the growth
Source BTRE Report 112
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Types of articulated truck
Single articulated truck
Images adapted from National Transport Commission
website
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Types of articulated truck
Single articulated truck
B-double
Images adapted from National Transport Commission
website
7
Types of articulated truck
Single articulated truck
B-double
Road train
Images adapted from National Transport Commission
website
8
Types of articulated truck
Single articulated truck
B-double
Road train
B-triple
Images adapted from National Transport Commission
website
9
The share of freight carried by B-doubles is
growing at 2.2 percentage points per annum
Source ABS Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, 1992-2005
10
The average load of each vehicle class has
remained relatively constant
Source Vicroads CULWAY data for laden trucks on
the Hume Highway
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and there have been no changes to legal mass
limits in the last decade
Source BTRE Report 112
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so that substitution to B-doubles is driving the
increase in load for articulated trucks as a class
Source BTRE Report 112, Vicroads CULWAY data
13
Increase in average load is expected to continue

• There is scope for further substitution to
  B-doubles
• The increase is truck travel will be slower than
  the increase in freight
• Per unit of freight
• Lower environmental costs
• Lower safety costs
• Lower road wear costs

14
Truck travel will grow slower than road freight
Source BTRE (2005, 2006)
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Future regulatory changes

• Implementation of performance based standards
  (PBS)
• Possible expansion of B-triple network

16
Performance Based Standards could reduce truck
travel by a further 5
Source BTRE (2005, 2006)
17
Expansion of B-triple network to inter-capital
routes could reduce truck travel by a further 4
Source BTRE (2005, 2006)
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Summary

• The articulated truck freight task will increase
  by 69 per cent by 2020
• Articulated truck travel will increase by 29 per
  cent by 2020
• With no further regulatory changes, articulated
  truck travel per unit of freight will be 35 per
  cent lower in 2020
• Performance Based Standards could reduce truck
  travel by a further 5
• B-triples on inter-capital routes could reduce
  truck travel by a further 4

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References

• ABS, Survey of Motor Vehicle Use
• BTRE 2006, Freight Measurement and Modelling,
  Report 112
• BTRE 2005, Greenhouse gas emissions from
  Australian transport Base Case Projections to
  2020, Report for the Australian Greenhouse Office
• NRTC 2001, Performance-Based Standards Policy
  Framework for Heavy Vehicle Regulation,
  Regulatory Impact Statement, May