The Greenest Mile is the One You Don’t Run

According to Erica Frank, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Optimal Dynamics, the most sustainable mile in trucking is the one that is never run. Frank argues that AI-driven decision optimization can improve trucking sustainability by shaping load acceptance and network planning before trucks begin moving. Data shows that deadhead accounts for nearly 20% of truck miles, resulting in wasted fuel, driver hours, and maintenance. By evaluating freight earlier and optimizing across networks, fleets can cut empty miles and emissions. Frank says that the biggest sustainability wins in trucking happen before a single wheel turns, and that the fleets pulling ahead today are those that are inserting artificial intelligence at the decision point in their workflow. This shift from reacting to deciding is where sustainability and profitability stop competing. Frank also notes that equipment will eventually reshape the industry, but that decision optimization works with the fleet a carrier already has, and that the greenest mile is often the one you never needed to run. The fleets seeing the biggest gains have made three shifts: they evaluate freight earlier, match equipment and drivers at the network level, and free planners and dispatchers from clearing a queue to focus on the decisions that need human judgment. By making better decisions with the assets they already have, carriers can earn more and emit less, without having to spend money or accept trade-offs.