Acumen has expanded its fleet of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) by four, takings its total number of trailers to 21 – an encouraging sign for the Freight and Logistics Division of the Department of Transport’s study into the efficiency of LSTs.
Over the past 12 months Acumen has reduced the number of trips it has by 150, equating to a total of 60,000 miles, and reduced its mileage by a further 15 per cent over the past two months.
Chris Doughty, managing director of Acumen Logistics. “Not only are we decreasing traffic congestion and increasing operational efficiency we are also saving 128.61 tonnes of CO2 emissions and reduced our mileage last year by a staggering 91,214 miles.”
The trailers, which measure 15.65m, are more than two metres longer than the current maximum semi-trailer length. Acumen has been using the trailers since 2012 after the Freight and Logistics Division of the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned a study to examine the feasibility and impacts of allowing longer semi-trailers to operate within the British road haulage market.
The primary objective of the study is to establish whether the introduction of LSTs will deliver overall economic, environmental and communal benefits.
