MACH 2 in the Greening of Transport
Initiatives to make different modes of transport more sustainable are gathering pace around the world. The European Union and its leading Member States are particularly active, investing large sums in the so-called green transition towards a low-carbon economy. In the United States, government support for the green economy has also encouraged more companies to participate in the transition.
The first ocean-going cargo trimaran
French maritime company VELA announced that it had completed the design of the first trimaran of its kind for cargo transport across the Atlantic using wind energy alone. The absence of fuel costs is expected to make the service highly competitive. The vessel is designed to carry up to 450 US-standard pallets, equivalent to around 560 Euro pallets or approximately 51 TEU of cargo.
VELA also stated that warehouse-to-warehouse transit from France to the United States would be no more than 10–15 days, positioning the service between conventional sea and air freight. The company plans regular departures every nine days from early 2028 and intends to expand to additional routes.
The innovative Trucksters model
Spanish transport operator Trucksters uses an innovative long-distance freight model based on artificial intelligence and big data. The company secured major investment support from Volvo Group Venture Capital alongside existing investors including Continental, the European Investment Bank and several venture-capital funds.
Transport is responsible for more than 30% of carbon emissions in the EU, with road transport accounting for a large share. Empty running is one of the main sources of unnecessary emissions. Trucksters’ corridor model addresses this through network optimisation and more efficient use of drivers’ working time, reducing empty kilometres by more than 50%.
The company has also planned new international corridors on which electric trucks will gradually replace diesel tractors, supporting its ambition to become one of Europe’s largest long-distance electric-freight operators.
The progress of TuSimple
Founded in San Diego in 2015, TuSimple (www.tusimple.com) is one of the leading companies in autonomous driving for freight transport. Its goal is to make road freight safer, more efficient and more environmentally responsible.
TuSimple’s autonomous-driving system is designed for SAE Level 4 operation. Vehicles using the system have covered millions of kilometres in the United States and hundreds of thousands of kilometres in China. Autonomous operation can support 24-hour utilisation, lower fuel consumption and continuous communication across the transport process. TuSimple has also worked on an Autonomous Freight Network designed to provide shared autonomous freight capacity to shippers and carriers.
The contribution of generative artificial intelligence
Generative AI is developing rapidly and has the potential to transform many professions and improve service in transport and logistics. Tools such as ChatGPT and large language models can be used to create chatbots that answer customer questions, provide shipment-location information and warn customers about potential issues such as schedule changes, missed sailings and flights or other disruptions.
Generative AI is a tool that can support, but not replace, customer-service teams, whose contribution remains critical to a positive customer experience.
Another promising area is product management, where generative AI can help create product brochures, communicate schedule changes, distribute transport documents and verify that all stages of a transport process have been completed.
Using generative AI tools can automate processes, shorten response times and optimise loading, thereby also contributing to a lower carbon footprint.