Four approaches can be taken to securing more sustainable freight transportation: improvements in the engine technology and other aspects of truck design such as aerodynamics (dealt with above); utilising options such as load aggregation and electronic commerce to shift road freight to rail and sea or to new forms of intra-urban distribution; adaptations in land use planning; and improved transport logistics. The locations of major freight generating activities, such as transport terminals, distribution centres, factories and shopping centres, will have a major effect on the pattern of urban freight transport and its impact on the urban environment, particularly through reducing the number and length of freight trips.
Technologies that improve transport system efficiency, such as better logistics systems to combine shipments and make sure trucks use the most efficient routes, could also have a large effect on fuel use. The IEA estimates that, for most countries, adoption of an aggressive freight transport efficiency program could yield a 10% reduction in the fuel used for freight movement over the next ten years (IEA 2005a).