A family-owned haulier is championing HVO after making a commitment to sustainability for its customers.
T&J Haulage, which is based in Ribble Valley and this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, says using the diesel alternative HVO in its fleet has enabled it to meet demands from sustainability-conscious customers, while maintaining its business model.
Speaking exclusively on Certas Energy’s podcast, HVO on the Road, Steph Crack, transport and compliance manager at T&J Haulage, says the requirements of customers set them on their green journey, but their own extensive research confirmed HVO was the best choice for moving forward.
It all started when a Scottish customer, who was committed fully to HVO, asked for some support during harvest season but required the trucks to run on HVO.
Crack says: “We were a bit dubious. We didn’t know a great deal about it, but our client reassured us and when our driver came back, he had a lot of positive things to say about it. At that point a seed was planted and we decided to have a look ourselves as a responsible haulier.”
Crack adds that they were initially reluctant to use HVO themselves due to the increased price, and considered alternatives such as carbon offsetting, electricity and hydrogen. However, each failed to meet their needs. The conversion of the fleet to electric trucks alone would cost two-and-a-half times as much as a truck with an internal combustion engine.
“We looked at electric but we were completely priced out. The electric trucks don’t have the range, cost a lot more to buy and they are four tonnes heavier than diesel – when you get paid by the tonne that has a huge impact. On a conservative estimate, we could potentially lose around 63,000 tonnes payload a year across the fleet – it just doesn’t make financial sense. That would also create a further 2,520 journeys just to cover those missed tonnes!”
Earlier this year, a multinational customer requested that the firm use biodiesel, which led to T&J Haulage researching HVO more thoroughly.
“A bio-blend diesel would create a lot more servicing and at shorter intervals, and our dealership was unsure about it. But we were keen to do something, so in early 2024 we decided to carry out some trials to run diesel and HVO on a like-for-like basis,” explains Crack.
Because HVO is a drop-in alternative to standard diesel, and doesn’t require any modifications, T&J Haulage has been able to use HVO exclusively for its multi-national customer – which equates to running one truck in their fleet of 21 on HVO constantly.
“We are still at the beginning of our journey, at the moment the use of HVO equates to just over one truck a week, which is nearly 5% - it’s a toe in the water but it makes a big difference to the environment,” says Crack.
The firm’s decision to introduce HVO was aided by Certas Energy’s FuelTapp which makes it possible for drivers to switch seamlessly between fuels on each journey according to the client’s needs. It also helps eliminate lost or cloned cards.
Crack also talked about the difference hauliers can make to the transport carbon footprint and how haulage firms can work together to drive down the price of HVO – all on the latest episode of the HVO on the Roadpodcast.
Podcast host Millie Jones, from Certas Energy, says: “We are thrilled that T&J Haulage have taken the first steps to adopt alternative fuels like HVO, and we hope their story will inspire others to follow suit. As Steph explained so well, you don’t have to commit to changing your whole fleet in one go. You can try it on one or two trucks and the benefits will speak for themselves.”
