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Effektivisering av godstransportsystemet : mått och komplexitet

Wehner, Jessica ; Andersson, Dan ; Fors, Tobias ; Gonzalez-Aregall, Marta ; Hellström, Daniel LU orcid ; Pålsson, Henrik LU orcid ; Rogerson, Sara ; Santén, Vendela and Swahn, Magnus (2026) In VTI rapport series
Abstract
Freight transport is a fundamental prerequisite for socio-economic development, business competitiveness, and the availability of goods, while at the same time accounting for a substantial share of Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the climate impact of transport without constraining economic development therefore constitutes a central challenge. Improved transport efficiency is often highlighted as a key strategy, yet its potential is difficult to assess since efficiency is defined, measured, and influenced in different ways across the many subsystems of the freight transport system.

The aim of the project is to develop and operationalise appropriate, reliable, accessible, and cost-effective efficiency indicators for... (More)
Freight transport is a fundamental prerequisite for socio-economic development, business competitiveness, and the availability of goods, while at the same time accounting for a substantial share of Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the climate impact of transport without constraining economic development therefore constitutes a central challenge. Improved transport efficiency is often highlighted as a key strategy, yet its potential is difficult to assess since efficiency is defined, measured, and influenced in different ways across the many subsystems of the freight transport system.

The aim of the project is to develop and operationalise appropriate, reliable, accessible, and cost-effective efficiency indicators for analysing the Swedish freight transport system, as well as to increase understanding of how efficiency measures affect different actors and system levels. The study applies a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to integrate a societal perspective with a firm-level perspective.

Methodologically, the study is based on analyses of national statistics to develop efficiency indicators. Two indicators are developed: (1) climate-efficient freight transport [g CO2e/tkm], which relates greenhouse gas emissions to the amount of freight transported and the distance travelled, and (2) energy-efficient freight transport [MJ/tkm], which relates energy use to transport work. The analysis is complemented by empirical case studies on municipal freight consolidation, packaging design, and delivery service requirements. In addition, an analytical framework is developed to make visible causal relationships as well as trade-offs between efficiency, cost, environmental impact, and service level.

The results show that transport efficiency in the freight transport system is a complex and multidimensional issue, where varying objectives, incentives, and system boundaries among actors complicate both analysis and governance. Efficiency improvements at the firm level may give rise to goal conflicts and sub-optimisation at the system level, and vice versa. The study therefore demonstrates the need for an integrated system perspective, in which firm-level indicators are combined with system-wide measures and where both relative efficiency metrics and total emissions are monitored. The project’s results provide a knowledge base for more informed decision-making and future policy development towards a sustainable, competitive, and robust freight transport system. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Godstransporter är en grundläggande förutsättning för samhällsekonomisk utveckling, näringslivets konkurrenskraft och tillgången till varor, men står samtidigt för en betydande andel av Sveriges växthusgasutsläpp. Att minska transporternas klimatpåverkan utan att hämma ekonomisk utveckling är därför en central utmaning. Ökad transporteffektivitet lyfts ofta fram som en nyckelstrategi, men dess potential är svår att bedöma eftersom effektivitet definieras, mäts och påverkas på olika sätt inom godstransportsystemets många delsystem.

Syftet med projektet är att utveckla och operationalisera ändamålsenliga, tillförlitliga, åtkomliga och kostnadseffektiva effektivitetsmått för analys av det svenska godstransportsystemet, samt att öka... (More)
Godstransporter är en grundläggande förutsättning för samhällsekonomisk utveckling, näringslivets konkurrenskraft och tillgången till varor, men står samtidigt för en betydande andel av Sveriges växthusgasutsläpp. Att minska transporternas klimatpåverkan utan att hämma ekonomisk utveckling är därför en central utmaning. Ökad transporteffektivitet lyfts ofta fram som en nyckelstrategi, men dess potential är svår att bedöma eftersom effektivitet definieras, mäts och påverkas på olika sätt inom godstransportsystemets många delsystem.

Syftet med projektet är att utveckla och operationalisera ändamålsenliga, tillförlitliga, åtkomliga och kostnadseffektiva effektivitetsmått för analys av det svenska godstransportsystemet, samt att öka förståelsen för hur effektiviseringsåtgärder påverkar olika aktörer och systemnivåer. Studien tillämpar en kombination av top-down- och bottom-up-ansatser för att integrera ett samhällsperspektiv med ett företagsperspektiv.

Metodiskt bygger arbetet på analys av nationell statistik för utveckling av effektivitetsmått. Två indikatorer har tagits fram: (1) klimateffektiva godstransporter [g CO2e/tkm], som relaterar växthusgasutsläpp till transporterat gods och avstånd, samt (2) energieffektiva godstransporter [MJ/tkm], som relaterar energianvändning till transportarbete. Arbetet kompletteras med empiriska fallstudier av kommunal samordning, förpackningsutformning och leveransservicekrav. Vidare utvecklas ett analytiskt ramverk för att synliggöra effektsamband samt avvägningar (trade-offs) mellan effektivitet, kostnad, miljöpåverkan och servicenivå.

Resultaten visar att transporteffektivitet i godstransportsystemet är en komplex och flerdimensionell fråga, där varierande mål, incitament och systemgränser mellan aktörer försvårar både analys och styrning. Effektiviseringar på företagsnivå kan ge upphov till målkonflikter och suboptimeringar på systemnivå, och vice versa. Studien visar därför behovet av ett sammanhållet systemperspektiv, där företagsnära indikatorer kombineras med samhällsövergripande mått och där både relativa effektivitetstal och totala utsläpp följs upp. Projektets resultat utgör ett kunskapsunderlag för mer informerade beslut och framtida policyutveckling mot ett hållbart, konkurrenskraftigt och robust godstransportsystem. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
alternative title
Efficiency improvements in the freight transport system : Metrics and complexity
publishing date
type
Book/Report
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Trade-offs, transport policy objectives, energy efficiency, load factor, freight transport system, climate efficiency, system perspective, transport efficiency
in
VTI rapport series
issue
1256
pages
131 pages
ISSN
0347-6030
DOI
10.65151/vti691523
project
Transport efficiency and fillrate: Analysis and suggested measure for increased resource utilization
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
7f849fc8-c404-4bdd-9be0-7bd42ab36047
date added to LUP
2026-02-08 09:02:40
date last changed
2026-03-03 14:04:05
@techreport{7f849fc8-c404-4bdd-9be0-7bd42ab36047,
  abstract     = {{Freight transport is a fundamental prerequisite for socio-economic development, business competitiveness, and the availability of goods, while at the same time accounting for a substantial share of Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the climate impact of transport without constraining economic development therefore constitutes a central challenge. Improved transport efficiency is often highlighted as a key strategy, yet its potential is difficult to assess since efficiency is defined, measured, and influenced in different ways across the many subsystems of the freight transport system. <br/><br/>The aim of the project is to develop and operationalise appropriate, reliable, accessible, and cost-effective efficiency indicators for analysing the Swedish freight transport system, as well as to increase understanding of how efficiency measures affect different actors and system levels. The study applies a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to integrate a societal perspective with a firm-level perspective. <br/><br/>Methodologically, the study is based on analyses of national statistics to develop efficiency indicators. Two indicators are developed: (1) climate-efficient freight transport [g CO2e/tkm], which relates greenhouse gas emissions to the amount of freight transported and the distance travelled, and (2) energy-efficient freight transport [MJ/tkm], which relates energy use to transport work. The analysis is complemented by empirical case studies on municipal freight consolidation, packaging design, and delivery service requirements. In addition, an analytical framework is developed to make visible causal relationships as well as trade-offs between efficiency, cost, environmental impact, and service level. <br/><br/>The results show that transport efficiency in the freight transport system is a complex and multidimensional issue, where varying objectives, incentives, and system boundaries among actors complicate both analysis and governance. Efficiency improvements at the firm level may give rise to goal conflicts and sub-optimisation at the system level, and vice versa. The study therefore demonstrates the need for an integrated system perspective, in which firm-level indicators are combined with system-wide measures and where both relative efficiency metrics and total emissions are monitored. The project’s results provide a knowledge base for more informed decision-making and future policy development towards a sustainable, competitive, and robust freight transport system.}},
  author       = {{Wehner, Jessica and Andersson, Dan and Fors, Tobias and Gonzalez-Aregall, Marta and Hellström, Daniel and Pålsson, Henrik and Rogerson, Sara and Santén, Vendela and Swahn, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{0347-6030}},
  keywords     = {{Trade-offs; transport policy objectives; energy efficiency; load factor; freight transport system; climate efficiency; system perspective; transport efficiency}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{1256}},
  series       = {{VTI rapport series}},
  title        = {{Effektivisering av godstransportsystemet : mått och komplexitet}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.65151/vti691523}},
  doi          = {{10.65151/vti691523}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}