An attempt was made to explain the decline in empty running in the UK up to the
mid-1990s (McKinnon, 1996). This identified several possible factors and used
available statistics to assess their likely impact on the level of empty running. A study
of empty running in Norway, involving interviews with road transport companies,
identified a similar range of relevant factors (Lea, 1998). In the course of the present
study, the UK analysis was updated. The following factors were considered