Pro-environmental elements in the business model of medium and large Polish road freight carriers

Abstract

Purpose: The policy of sustainable development places requirements on businesses to reduce their negative environmental impact. One of the sectors of the economy that is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions is road transportation. Consideration of the European Union’s environmental goals is forcing road carriers to have environmental measures built into their business models. The purpose of the study was to learn how road carriers can reduce their negative environmental impact so that they can fit in with the goals of the environmental policy and to learn about the regulatory tools that the road carriers expect to be able to support these activities. Design/methodology/approach: Data for this study was collected in computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). The study was conducted in late 2021 and early 2022 by a Polish company that was responsible for the selection of the sample and the collection of the data. The survey was conducted on a sample of 146 medium and large Polish road freight carriers and was a continuation of a study carried out on the same sample of entities conducted in late 2019 and early 2020 using the same technique. Findings: As part of their fleet policy, in order to fit in with environmental goals, carriers base their business models on the purchase of new means of transportation that meet increasingly stringent emission standards and reinforce environmentally friendly attitudes by buying means of transportation with smaller engine displacement that is tailored to the needs arising from their operations. Pro-environmental operational activities of medium and large Polish road freight carriers involve the use of solutions that change the composition of exhaust gases (AdBlue) and reduce fuel consumption (lowering rolling resistance – energy-efficient tires and lowering air resistance – fairings), and the acquisition of pro-environmental driving skills (eco-driving). Other environmentally friendly measures are to increase the utilisation of the vehicle capacity (cargo consolidation) and to eliminate empty runs by looking for cargo to be carried on the way back and using route planning software. Originality/value: The paper indicates the methods to reduce the negative environmental impact considered in the business models of medium and large road freight carriers, so that they fit in with the environmental policy goals, and indicates their expectations associated with the support for the achievement of zero-emission transportation. The results can be useful in the adoption on both the European and Polish level of policies leading to a zero-carbon economy. Keywords: sustainable business models, road freight transport. Category of the paper: research paper.