Freight transport and sustainability: the strategies of hauliers and SMEs

The issue of sustainability is by no means overlooked. And, amongst clients and hauliers, despite the difficulties faced particularly by smaller businesses, the issue is quite clear. This is highlighted by the study “Sustainability in freight transport: a comparison of shippers and hauliers” , which outlines the evolving landscape and was carried out by the ESG Observatory at LIUC Cattaneo University, edited by Alessandro Creazza. According to the study, 59 per cent of shippers and 53 per cent of hauliers have a formalised sustainability strategy in place. A further 30 per cent or so are in the process of developing one.

“Sustainability is by no means an issue that companies in the logistics and road haulage sector have forgotten or that has ‘gone out of fashion’,” emphasises Creazza. “Compared with previous studies we carried out 3–4 years ago, it does indeed appear that maturity in this area is on the rise. The environmental and social initiatives implemented over the last three years also show a similar level of commitment across both groups.”

A review of the data reveals that 63 per cent of clients require their suppliers to adhere to a code of conduct incorporating environmental and social criteria, whilst only 37 per cent of hauliers make the same demand of their subcontractors. “It is when requirements are passed down to subcontractors that they are weakened the most,” the study emphasises. “Behaviour is similar among SME clients and hauliers: 42 per cent of clients have a formalised strategy, whereas this figure stands at just 30 per cent among hauliers.”

Very often, despite good intentions, it is not always possible to achieve objectives and results. “Truck drivers and smaller companies,” adds Creazza, “lack the staff and procedures needed to drive sustainability forward, as well as the data to demonstrate it.”

Yet, as the university lecturer points out, something can be done to improve this situation: ‘We cannot change the size of businesses; we can certainly suggest encouraging mergers to improve critical mass, but it is clear that it is the internal and external dynamics that must change,’ he argues. From our point of view, we need to work on internal and external governance. Adopting ESG principles is not merely a matter of complying with regulations or meeting customer demands. In reality, it is precisely a change in the way business is conducted that the road haulage sector – which is currently in such difficulty – should adopt, not merely to survive but to succeed in creating value: that is, to create a commercial proposition that can be recognised, in order to ‘sell’ the service and not merely to have it ‘bought’ by clients’.