DPD is saving fuel and reducing its CO2 emissions in the Netherlands with the introduction of itssecond ‘ecocombi’ long-distance truck in the country.
DPD and its trucking partner Holwerda Distribution and Transport officially started the useof the extra-long 25-metre truck, which operates daily trips between the Joure and Best hubs,earlier this month. The parcel and express service provider will be using this ‘greener’ means oftransportation for its 24-hour trips between Joure and Best, adding up to a total mileage of220,000 kilometres annually.
After introducing the first Dutch ecocombi on the Best – Rotterdam route in January, DPDNetherlands now enjoys the use of two vehicles that each save substantial costs, tens of thousandsof litres of fuel and large volumes of CO2 emissions annually.Together, the two trucks will coveraround 500,000 kilometres a year and doing so achieve massive savings of between forty and fiftythousand litres of fuel.
DPD said it is the first distributor in the Netherlands to work with so-called LZV ecocombis– LZV is a Dutch abbreviation for long heavy vehicle – with swap bodies. The longer vehicle usesthree swap bodies instead of the usual two. With an average fuel saving of 33%, environmental andeconomic benefits of the LZV trucks are significant.
Robert van Straaten, Director Marketing & Sales of DPD in the Netherlands, commented: “As a specialist in parcel delivery using the road, we really see the use of ecocombis as a focuspoint. The first ecocombi has proven to be a great success and the launch of this second truck isan important step to progress into international trips with ecocombis as well. If we look at CO2emissions and costs, road transport is much more efficient than for example delivery by air. Withour ecocombis we can further optimise these savings.”
DPD hopes to be able to start international ecocombi trips in 2010. The trucks, which have atotal length of 25.25 metres and weigh 44-48 tonnes, are currently permitted for use in a number ofEuropean countries.
