Deutsche Post DHL invests in new fuel-efficient trucks

Deutsche Post DHL and Volvo Trucks have signed a frame agreement to supply 1,800 new trucks. The new vehicles will be delivered to the UK, Finland and Sweden within the next two years and will primarily cover Express, Freight and Supply Chain operations.

These trucks are compliant with the EURO 5 standard and will gradually be replacing the older vehicles, which meet the EURO 3 standard. The EURO 5 standard sets limits for noxious exhaust emissions from motor vehicles, such as nitrogen oxide and soot particles, and is based on a European Union directive on emissions that was introduced in 2009.

"The modernization of our fleet is an important part of our GoGreen climate protection program. By deploying new vehicles, we are satisfying Europe-wide standards and will be able to further protect the environment", explained Rainer Wend, Director of Corporate Public Policy and Responsibility at Deutsche Post DHL.

"We are proud to be a preferred supplier for Deutsche Post DHL", said Staffan Jufors, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks. "We share the same focus on sustainable growth. We aim to increase our cooperation, especially regarding environmental issues, to find common ways to tackle the challenges that the transport industry is facing."

As the largest logistics services provider worldwide, Deutsche Post DHL takes its responsibility for environmental protection very seriously. The company began its GoGreen climate protection program in 2008 and will reduce CO₂-emissions per letter and package, per ton of freight, and per square meter of area used, by 30 percent by the year 2020. In support of this ambitious goal, the group is replacing its air and ground fleet step by step, collaborating on projects for alternative vehicles, and training its drivers in fuel-efficient driving.

Volvo Trucks strives for CO₂-neutral transportation and wants to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. For example, in 2010, Volvo Trucks will be conducting field tests with trucks that are powered by selected renewable fuels. Volvo Trucks has further developed a unique parallel hybrid solution that offers fuel savings of up to 30 percent. The company also strives to make its entire production CO₂-neutral, and has the world's only CO₂-neutral vehicle production facility, in Ghent, Belgium.