Silent trucks cut noise and emissions

  |  Sustainability
1 min reading

Inner-city roads are notorious for their heavy traffic and pollution. In Denmark, the City of Copenhagen has set an ambitious goal to be CO2 neutral by 2025. A partnership agreement with Lantmännen Unibake is part of the effort to make that happen.

At Unibake in Denmark, our 80 trucks deliver fresh bread all over the country. The aim is to make as many overnight store deliveries as possible, avoiding rush hour traffic, reducing time on the road and cutting CO2 emissions. It also makes the roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists in the daytime.

An important consideration when making overnight deliveries is that our trucks do not wake up the neighbours. This is why most Danish municipalities still do not allow deliveries during certain hours. In partnership with the City of Copenhagen, we have introduced a series of noise-reducing measures to enable deliveries right through the night.  

Initiatives have included better sound insulation of the lifts, replacement of the reversing alarm with a camera, and wheel noise reduction. And our drivers receive regular training in noiseless behaviour.

Niels Holm, Supply Chain Manager, Lantmännen Unibake Denmark

In January 2017, Unibake Denmark made its biggest investment in CO2 and noise reduction yet. Three new hybrid trucks were added to the distribution fleet. Compared to a standard truck, the hybrid vehicles consume 20-25% less energy and make 15-17 decibels less noise.

The purchase follows a successful two-year trial with a hybrid truck. This has brought the first PIEK* certificate in Denmark for quiet overnight deliveries.

In addition to delivering our own fresh bread products, we act as distributor for 18 other bakery companies in Denmark.

“This allows retailers to receive all their bread in a single delivery and enables us to optimise our transport route so we avoid driving round with empty trucks,” says Niels.

The Dutch PIEK certification scheme was initiated in 2004 for vehicles and equipment suitable for use in overnight deliveries without causing noise disturbance.

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