Freight Best Practice, funded by the Department for Transport, has published a benchmarking survey covering a number of key performance indicators (KPI) for the primary distribution sector. The survey broke the result down by gross vehicle weight, route type, sub-sectors, region and route so that operators can accurately compare their performance with that of the survey. On average, the survey found that:

Empty running stands at 13% (compared to a commonly referred to industry average of 25%)

Miles per gallon stand at 8.54

Vehicle fill stands at 82%

The On Line Benchmarking (OLB) system has also expanded its range of KPIs to cover CO2 emissions and an increased focus on safety. A CO2 KPI has been added, which will allow operators to measure and compare the amount of CO2 that each of their vehicles emit, which could be invaluable when proving environmental credentials to help win work. Safety KPIs have also been enhanced to allow operators not only to measure the total number of incidents, but also the types of incidents according to four main categories: Fatal, Serious Injury, Slight Injury and

Damage Only. The introduction of the new KPIs will bring the total suite of KPIs offered by OLB to 13.

More information is available at the Freight Best Practice web site: www.freightbestpractice.org.uk.