As cities expand and populations grow, demand for freight increases. This is especially true of road freight. More people means more households buying goods and services, more construction and increased manufacturing – all activities that generate truck traffic.
Transurban Insights: The Future of Road Freight explores what’s driving the increase in road freight, the vital role that toll roads play in keeping freight moving, and what’s next for the trucking industry.
Road freight has been increasing steadily for many years, something we’ve seen on our own roads, where large vehicle numbers have increased around 57% in the past decade. And in Australia’s three biggest cities, road freight growth is projected to outpace population growth – expected to increase 40% by 2040, to accommodate a 28% growth in population over the same period.
For freight operators, our roads can mean quicker, safer and more direct and reliable travel between key freight centres such as ports, airports and distribution centres.
Our roads are also hi-tech environments – with AI and connected technology supporting world-class traffic management and road safety responses.
Looking ahead, advances in vehicle decarbonisation, connected and autonomous freight and smart-road technologies are opening up new opportunities for managing the freight task ahead.
Want to know more about the role of freight in our cities, now and in the years ahead? Read the full Transurban Insights: The Future of Road Freight report.
