ISO 50001 for transport and logistics
For transport and logistics companies, fuel is often the largest energy cost: 60-80% of total energy costs. ISO 50001:2018 is therefore particularly relevant for this sector. The standard treats fuel for vehicles as a full energy flow, just like electricity or gas. NEN publishes the official Dutch version. Companies with a large fleet quickly fall under the EED audit obligation, because fuel counts towards your total energy consumption in terajoules.
Fuel consumption counts in full towards your EED calculation. A transport company with 50 lorries (each using about 35,000 litres of diesel per year) quickly consumes 55-60 TJ per year. That places you directly in the category where an energy audit or ISO 50001 is mandatory.
On this page
Why and how you designate fuel as a significant energy aspect.
Fuel as an SEUEnergy review for a transport and logistics company.
Mapping energy flowsWhich indicators work in this sector.
EnPIs for transportDriving behaviour, fleet management, vehicle choice and route optimisation.
Savings measuresWhen you are obliged and what your options are.
EED relationshipFuel as a significant energy user (SEU)
For manufacturers, compressors and ovens are the typical SEUs. For transport and logistics, the vehicle fleet is almost always the dominant SEU.
Why fuel is an SEU:
- Large consumption: 60-80% of total energy costs
- Large saving potential: driving style, tyre pressure, route and vehicle choice have a 10-25% effect
- High variability: consumption differs greatly per driver, per route and per vehicle type
- Strongly influenceable: training, monitoring and fleet management demonstrably work
How you document fuel as an SEU:
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Description | ”Diesel consumption of the fleet: 45 lorries, average 35,000 litres per year per vehicle” |
| Consumption | 1,575,000 litres per year, or approximately 53 TJ |
| Share of total | 72% of total energy consumption |
| Saving potential | 15-20% through driver training and route optimisation |
| Priority | High |
Besides the fleet, warehouses, loading and unloading terminals and refrigeration installations (for refrigerated transport) can also count as SEUs if they are large enough.
Mapping energy flows
The energy review for a transport company maps all energy flows. There are more than just diesel:
| Energy flow | Typical share |
|---|---|
| Fuel (diesel, LNG, HVO) for the fleet | 60-80% |
| Electricity for depots and offices | 5-15% |
| Cooling (refrigerated containers, refrigerated trailers) | 5-15% |
| Heating of buildings | 3-8% |
| Electricity for charging infrastructure (EV) | Growing |
Points of attention for the energy review:
- Collect fuel data per vehicle or vehicle category (tank systems, fuel cards)
- Link fuel data to trip records (ton-km or km per vehicle)
- Record refrigeration unit fuel separately if you transport refrigerated goods
- Record any externally charged electric vehicles (charge cards, groups)
EnPIs for transport and logistics
The EnPIs for this sector link energy consumption to output: transport output (ton-km) or deliveries.
| EnPI | Unit | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel per ton-km | litres/ton-km | Central indicator for freight transport |
| CO2 per ton-km | grams CO2/ton-km | Useful for CSRD reporting and customer requirements |
| Fuel per vehicle per year | litres/vehicle | Compares drivers and vehicles |
| kWh per m² (depot/warehouse) | kWh/m² | For building-related energy consumption |
| kWh per charging point (EV fleet) | kWh/vehicle | For an electric fleet |
Example: A distribution company uses 0.32 litres of diesel per ton-km as its primary EnPI. After driver training and route optimisation, this falls to 0.27 litres per ton-km. That is 15% less fuel at the same volume. At an annual consumption of 1.5 million litres, that is a saving of €225,000 (at €1.50 per litre).
Link your EnPI to the energy baseline. If your fleet grows from 40 to 50 lorries, your absolute consumption rises, but your efficiency per ton-km can stay the same or improve. Without normalisation, it looks like deterioration.
Savings measures for transport
Driving behaviour training
The driver determines 10-20% of fuel consumption for the same vehicle on the same route. Smooth driving, anticipating traffic and making good use of cruise control and deceleration demonstrably save fuel.
| Measure | Saving | Investment | Payback period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eco-driving training (1 day per driver) | 8-15% | €200-€400 per driver | Under 2 months |
| Continuous monitoring via on-board computer | 5-10% (behavioural effect) | €500-€1,500 per vehicle | 6-12 months |
| Performance comparison per driver | 3-8% (competition effect) | €0 (with existing data) | Immediate |
Route optimisation
Smart route planning reduces empty kilometres and detour time.
| Measure | Saving | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic route optimisation software | 5-15% on fuel | €100-€300 per vehicle per year |
| Backhaul optimisation (return loads) | 10-25% on empty km | Organisational |
| Consolidating shipments | 10-20% on volume | Organisational |
Vehicle choice and maintenance
| Measure | Saving | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Euro VI instead of Euro V | 5-10% lower consumption | Extra cost at purchase |
| Tyre choice and tyre pressure | 3-6% | €0 (tyre pressure) to €2k per vehicle |
| Aerodynamic add-ons (deflectors) | 3-8% | €1k-€3k per vehicle |
| Engine heat recovery | 3-5% | €2k-€5k per vehicle |
Electrification and alternative fuels
| Vehicle type | Fuel | Saving vs diesel | Points of attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van | Electric | 60-70% lower energy costs | Charging time, range, charging infrastructure |
| Distribution lorry | Electric or hydrogen | 40-60% | Higher purchase price, charging infrastructure |
| Long distance (over 500 km) | LNG, HVO | 10-20% lower CO2 | Fuel availability |
Electric vehicles shift energy consumption from fuel to electricity. ISO 50001 covers both: your EnPIs adjust to the mix.
EED relationship for transport and logistics
The revised Energy Efficiency Directive counts fleet fuel consumption in full towards total energy consumption. This is new compared with the old EED.
Calculation example:
- 50 lorries × 35,000 litres of diesel = 1,750,000 litres
- 1 litre of diesel ≈ 0.036 GJ
- Total fleet: 63,000 GJ = 63 TJ
- Consumption of buildings and other sources: 8 TJ
- Total: 71 TJ → EED audit obligation (10-85 TJ)
This company already falls under the EED audit obligation. With a slightly larger fleet or higher charging mileage, you exceed 85 TJ and are obliged to introduce an energy management system by 11 October 2027.
Advantages of ISO 50001 over a standalone energy audit:
- You build a system that structurally monitors fuel per vehicle
- You have data for customer reports (CSRD, CO2 emissions per shipment)
- You comply with the EED and hold a certificate for tenders
See the comparison ISO 50001 vs energy audit for a cost-benefit analysis.
ISO 50001 for transport: what is different from manufacturers?
Transport companies face different challenges from manufacturers:
| Aspect | Manufacturer | Transport and logistics |
|---|---|---|
| Largest SEU | Compressors, ovens | Vehicle fleet (fuel) |
| EnPI | kWh per product | Litres per ton-km |
| Variable | Production volume | Ton-km, load factor |
| Influenceability | Optimising installations | Driving behaviour, route, vehicle choice |
| Measurement data | Submeters on machines | On-board computer, fuel cards |
| Scope complexity | Location-bound | Mobile fleet, multiple depots |
The scope of your energy management system (EnMS) must be clear: which vehicles fall under it (own fleet, hired vehicles, subcontractors), which depots, and which refrigeration units.
Common mistakes
Leaving fuel from hired carriers out of scope. If you outsource a lot, energy consumption also sits there. The standard asks you to consider purchasing criteria: set requirements for carriers’ energy efficiency in your contracts.
No data per vehicle, only total consumption. With only a total consumption figure, you cannot steer. You need consumption per vehicle or per driver for targeted action.
Forgetting refrigeration unit fuel. Refrigeration units on trailers run on their own fuel tank, separate from the tractor. They consume 5-15% of total fuel consumption but are often overlooked.
Not linking the EnPI to ton-km. If you only track total litres but not transport performance, you cannot see whether you are becoming more efficient.
More information
- EED audit obligation: when you are obliged and what the thresholds are
- Is ISO 50001 mandatory?: EED obligations, including the 85 TJ threshold
- Energy aspects (SEUs): how you determine your largest consumers
- Energy performance indicators (EnPIs): indicators with examples
- Costs and timeline: what does ISO 50001 cost for a transport company?
- For manufacturers: comparison with other energy-intensive sectors
Sources
- ISO 50001:2018 : official standard
- RVO - Revised EED directive : thresholds and deadlines
- Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) : official EU directive