This report compiles what's publicly known about empty miles and last-mile carbon in UK road freight, alongside the measured results from Anteam's own live deployments. UK HGV empty running sits at around 28 to 30% of total vehicle mileage, a figure that has barely moved in years; against that baseline, Anteam's own matching software has cut empty legs by 50% and CO2 by 34% per matched delivery in backloading, and delivered up to 85% CO2 savings per matched delivery in same-day route insertion.
A note on sourcing: this is not a new large-N anonymised survey. It compiles figures already published from Anteam's own live pilots and deployments (see sources cited throughout), together with public Department for Transport statistics and independent peer-reviewed research. We plan to update it as more deployment data becomes available across our haulier, NHS and pharmacy partners.
The National Baseline: Empty Running in UK Road Freight
The Department for Transport's domestic road freight statistics put HGV empty running at around 28 to 30% of total vehicle mileage (Department for Transport, 2026), a rate that has held roughly steady for years despite widespread adoption of fleet management software. That's close to a third of UK HGV mileage generating fuel cost, driver time and vehicle wear with no delivered goods and no revenue to show for it.
Why Last-Mile Trips Carry a Disproportionate Carbon Cost
Last-mile delivery already carries an outsized share of transport emissions relative to the distance it covers (life cycle study, ScienceDirect). Short, frequent, often part-loaded trips are inherently less efficient than longer consolidated ones: the fixed costs of starting a journey, fuel to leave the depot, driver time, distance travelled empty either side of the delivery, are paid regardless of how little the vehicle is carrying.
Measured Results: Backloading
In live deployment, Anteam Reload™ has reduced empty legs by 50% and cut CO2 emissions by 34% per AI-matched delivery, while increasing profit by 16%, by matching live orders to hauliers' routes already running rather than adding new dedicated journeys.
Measured Results: Same-Day Route Insertion
In a pilot with NHS hospitals and a national UK pharmacy chain, spanning 1,000+ vehicles and over 100,000 weekly deliveries, Anteam Route+™ matched over 61% of partner hospitals' deliveries to routes already running, increasing fleet utilisation by 15% to 40% and cutting CO2 by up to 85% per matched delivery. The CO2 reduction methodology has been independently audited by Nottingham Trent University.
| Measure | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UK HGV empty running rate | ~28-30% of total mileage | Department for Transport, 2026 |
| Empty legs reduction, backloading | 50% per AI-matched delivery | Anteam Reload, live deployment |
| CO2 reduction, backloading | 34% per AI-matched delivery | Anteam Reload, live deployment |
| CO2 reduction, same-day route insertion | Up to 85% per matched delivery | Anteam Route+, NHS/pharmacy pilot, NTU-audited |
| Deliveries matched to existing routes | Over 61% (partner hospitals) | Anteam Route+, NHS/pharmacy pilot |
Methodology and Limitations
The empty running baseline is a national average across all UK road freight sectors and lane types, so an individual fleet's own empty running can sit well above or below it. Anteam's own figures are drawn from named, live deployments, not a controlled experiment against a matched control group, though Route+'s CO2 methodology specifically has been independently audited by Nottingham Trent University. We treat these as directional evidence of what real-time matching can achieve, not a universal multiplier that applies unchanged to every fleet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a new, large-scale anonymised dataset?
No. This report compiles figures already published from Anteam's own live pilots and deployments, together with public UK government and peer-reviewed sources, rather than a new independent survey. It will be updated as more deployment data becomes available.
What is the UK's HGV empty running rate?
Around 28 to 30% of total HGV vehicle mileage, a figure that has held roughly steady for years, according to the Department for Transport's domestic road freight statistics.
How much CO2 has Anteam's software saved in deployment?
Anteam Reload has cut CO2 emissions by 34% per AI-matched delivery through backloading, and Anteam Route+ has delivered up to 85% CO2 savings per AI-matched delivery through same-day route insertion, validated with NHS hospitals and a national UK pharmacy chain and independently audited by Nottingham Trent University.
Press and Media
For press coverage of Anteam's funding history and technology, see In The News. For interview requests or to discuss this report, get in touch.
Related reading: empty running rate in UK road freight and how real-time route insertion cuts last-mile CO2.