Occupancy rates

Utilisation efficiency is one of the main parameters that determine energy and emission efficiency. A high occupancy rate in passenger cars and buses has relatively little impact on overall vehicle weight, and therefore on energy consumption. For freight, the relationship is more complex, as a higher load factor is likely to result in a significant increase in vehicle weight and therefore in more energy use and emissions. High load factors are still preferable, however, since low load factors imply a higher number of transport movements, which is generally more environmentally damaging.

Measures to increase occupancy rates include schemes for favouring vehicles with more than one passenger (through-traffic privileges) and initiatives to promote car-sharing. Private companies are increasingly promoting car-sharing. There are no targets for these indicators at the EU level. Sweden has adopted targets for increasing the average number of people in private cars by 5 % and the load factor of lorries by 3 % by 2000 (base year 1995) (ERM, 1999).

Changes in loading and utilisation can have a significant impact on the overall efficiency of freight transport: a heavy truck when fully loaded (say with 40 tonnes) uses about one-eighth of the fuel per tonne-km of a light delivery truck carrying 200 kg. Load factors can also be optimised by tailoring vehicles more closely to particular types of delivery operations with the help of IT systems for fleet management. These can also support improved route guidance, scheduling operations, return load management, vehicle performance and driver behaviour. (OECD/ECMT, 1999)

Load factors
No EU-wide data is available on freight load factors. The country figures used in this assessment may not be representative for the whole EU, but indicate the type of data that is relevant.

UK statistics show that load factors (excluding empty running) remained fairly stable at around 63 % between 1986 and 1996 (DETR, 1998).

In Denmark, load factors for loaded trips fell from over 70 % in 1984 to 47 % in 1996, and for all trips (including empty running) from 45 % to 38 % (see Figure 6.10). This smaller reduction is caused by reductions in the share of vehicle-km running empty, which fell from 29 % in 1984 to 17 % in 1996. The decrease in load factors is the result of the combined effect of increases in the loading capacity per truck and reductions in the weight transported per trip probably due to declining densities of modern high-quality goods. Increasing demand for just-in-time deliveries of high-value goods, together with relatively low transport costs, gives companies an economic incentive to prioritise fast deliveries above a more efficient capacity utilisation.

EU-wide data on empty hauling is not available either, but a few country examples indicate that there are large differences. Empty hauling makes up only 25 % of total truck vehicle-km in Germany and over 40 % in the Netherlands. In the UK, the proportion of empty runs declined from about 33 % to 29 % between 1980 and 1996. This trend may be explained by the lengthening of truck journeys, an increase in the number of drops per trip, the expansion of load-matching services, a growth in the reverse flow of packaging material / handling equipment and greater efforts by shippers to obtain return loads (McKinnon, 1999).

• More work is needed to provide reliable and comparable data for occupancy rates and load factors for all modes in general and for rail, sea and air transport in particular. Member States recently adopted a Council regulation (EC) No 1172/98) on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road, in which they undertook to compile statistics according to standardised guidelines. Eurostat expects that this regulation will yield comprehensive data on freight vehicle utilisation by the beginning of 2000.
• Occupancy rates for passenger cars differ considerably, depending on the length and purpose of the trip. Breakdowns by purpose (work/education, business, shopping, leisure and holidays) are therefore needed.
• More work is also needed to develop a better indicator of freight vehicle utilisation. The volume of goods carried is progressively becoming more important as truck space is often filled long before the maximum permitted weight is reached. Weight-based load factors therefore tend to underestimate the true level of utilisation.
• Further work may also be needed to ensure that empty hauling is dealt with in comparable ways in national statistics.