September 2026

Diesel Prices Hitting Hauliers Hard

Posted on 30 September, 202630 September, 2026 by David Priestman

The cost of diesel is putting enormous pressure on hauliers, and this isn’t just another headwind. Fuel accounts for around a third of operating costs, and industry estimates suggest the increase is adding roughly £300 per week per truck.

Ryan Yu, Vice President of Product at Samsara, told us:

For many hauliers, there is very little room to absorb these increases. In fact, research from the RHA found that only 1 in 10 operators can pass the increase on in full, while 8 in 10 are absorbing at least some of the additional cost and squeezing their margins. This puts already tight margins under even greater pressure, and operators are now having to scrutinise planned routes, fuelling decisions and the wider supply chain to minimise fuel costs wherever they can.

“To try and counteract this, we’ve been working with our customers to better understand total and recoverable fuel spend. In the US alone, we’ve identified $2 billion of recoverable fuel spend, with idling, driver behaviour, fuelling at the wrong station and fraud all creating significant leakage. One of the biggest changes we’re seeing is that fuel is moving from something businesses reconcile at the end of the month to a financial KPI they actively manage week by week.

“This continued focus on getting more from every litre matters, because there is no overnight alternative to diesel for many fleets. There is, of course, an understandable argument that fleets should simply switch to EVs. But the reality is more complicated, overhauling a fleet requires significant investment, and without reliable charging infrastructure along the routes hauliers actually operate, the economics may not stack up. Rather than treating electrification as an all-or-nothing decision, operators should start with targeted pilots on routes where vehicle utilisation, charging availability and fuel savings offer the clearest return on investment.”

Record High, Dirty Fuel

Jamie Reid, Associate Director of UK Road Freight at forwarder and logistics provider Baxter Freight, is warning UK shippers that diesel prices have climbed to their highest level since 2022, putting further pressure on hauliers and the businesses whose goods they move.

With fuel now at its highest level in months as global conflict strains energy and shipping supply, diesel remains the single biggest variable cost in road freight. Already-thin haulage margins leave little room to absorb the increase, so it moves down the chain as higher fuel surcharges on UK and UK-EU road freight.

For cross-border supply chains, the impact can extend beyond the road element of a movement. Many UK-EU movements depend on ferry crossings, where operators are also facing their own fuel and energy cost pressures, meaning rising costs can affect both the road and sea elements of the transport chain.

Jamie explains what UK businesses need to know:

Diesel is the single biggest variable cost in road freight, so when it climbs like this, there is nowhere for a haulier to hide. Margins in UK haulage are already thin, and a sustained price rise doesn’t get absorbed. It moves down the chain as fuel surcharges, and the shipper pays it in the end

Key points UK shippers need to be aware of include:

Diesel sets the surcharge: When the diesel price climbs and holds, road freight fuel surcharges rise with it. Shippers treating the increase as a short-term spike to wait out are the ones most exposed if it doesn’t fall back.
Look at the whole transport network: Businesses cannot control fuel markets, but they can take steps to improve efficiency, increase visibility and reduce unnecessary cost throughout their transport network. Reviewing how and where goods are moved, rather than focusing solely on individual services such as consolidation, can help businesses manage rising costs.
Consolidation can cut wasted cost: Moving part loads on their own means paying to move empty space. Consolidating freight so vehicles run fuller reduces the fuel cost carried per shipment and lowers direct exposure to the diesel price, where the service is suitable.
Rail and multi-modal reduce diesel dependency: Shifting suitable traffic onto rail where the lane supports it cuts the diesel you burn. It is not a switch to flip mid-crisis, which is why the planning needs to happen while the pressure is visible.
Ferries add another cost consideration for UK-EU movements: Many movements between the UK and Europe depend on ferry crossings, meaning fuel and energy costs can affect both the road and sea elements of the journey. Understanding the full transport journey is increasingly important when looking at overall freight costs.
Additional costs for cross-border freight: There are also increases in War Risk Charges from both shipping lines and marine insurers as vessels face threats of attack. This adds another layer of cost pressure for businesses moving goods between the UK and Europe.
UK-EU corridors face a double squeeze: The same lanes already carry extra cost and complexity at the border. A sustained fuel rise adds further pressure to corridors that have little slack left in them.
Why action is needed now: Fuel-saving measures, changes to transport strategy and modal shifts take time to set up. Businesses that review their logistics strategies and supplier relationships while diesel is high are better positioned to manage volatility than those that react once costs have already risen.

Reid continues:

The mistake shippers make is treating a fuel spike as something to wait out. When diesel resets higher and stays there, the businesses that keep their costs under control are the ones that have already looked at how they move freight, not just what they pay for it. Consolidating loads and shifting the right traffic onto rail both cut your exposure directly, and the time to plan them is now, while the pressure is visible

Baxter Freight has extensive experience helping businesses control freight costs and build resilience across road, rail and multi-modal networks, keeping goods moving efficiently between the UK and EU despite volatile fuel prices and tight capacity.

For businesses trading with Europe, understanding the full transport journey is becoming increasingly important. Rising costs can affect not only the road element of a movement but also ferry crossings and other parts of the supply chain, making effective planning, strong carrier relationships and visibility of transport spend critical to maintaining cost control and service reliability.

New widebody freighter completes first test flight

Posted on 30 September, 202630 September, 2026 by An Industry Expert

The A350 freighter has completed its first test flight from Toulouse, marking the start of a nine-month flight-test campaign for the new widebody cargo aircraft.

The aircraft flew for four hours and 10 minutes on Tuesday, September 29, reaching 25,000 feet with a five-person crew that included three test engineers. Initial testing focused on basic airworthiness, flying qualities and the performance of essential systems.

The programme is expected to move towards European Union Aviation Safety Agency type certification after the flight-test phase, with the first commercial delivery anticipated in late 2027. A second prototype is also nearing completion and is due to enter the paint shop in the coming weeks.

For airlines, cargo operators and freight forwarders, the aircraft represents a new option in the large-freighter market as older aircraft are retired and available capacity remains under pressure. The manufacturer has recorded 103 orders from 14 customers.

Based on the A350-1000 passenger aircraft, the freighter has been designed around cargo loading and operational commonality. Its main-deck cargo door is positioned behind the wing, allowing loading from the main deck and lower holds at the same time. The aircraft also uses a reinforced metallic floor and a digitally controlled loading system for positioning pallets.

The freighter is designed to carry up to 111 tonnes and has a 175-inch-wide cargo door. Its shared platform with the passenger version could also help airlines simplify pilot training and fleet integration.

Extensive use of composite materials is intended to reduce weight. The manufacturer says the aircraft could cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 40% compared with some older freighters still in service.

The programme also comes as new international efficiency and emissions standards influence the future production of large cargo aircraft. Certification progress and the eventual delivery schedule will therefore be closely watched by European and global air-cargo operators.

Purpose-built Vehicle for High Safety Requirements

Posted on 30 September, 202630 September, 2026 by David Priestman

For the German Konrad repository, Hubtex has developed a coordinated fleet of five specialised vehicle types. Several of the larger vehicles will now be disassembled into individual components, brought into the underground facility and reassembled there. During this process the existing inspection and documentation chain must be continued seamlessly.

The vehicles are part of the future storage process of the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE). They perform coordinated tasks ranging from above-ground handling and onward transport to the precise positioning of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste at a depth of around 850 metres. They will transport fresh concrete and concrete delivered by pump for the subsequent backfilling of the storage areas. The decisive factor is not an individual vehicle but rather the safe interaction of all vehicle types at defined transfer points.

From process to vehicle architecture

No suitable standard solution was available for this application. Narrow travel routes, gradients, high vehicle weights, as well as clearly defined driving, braking and transfer processes determine the design. Added to this are stringent requirements relating to radiation protection, decontamination, fire-load requirements, collision avoidance, potential fall heights and operator protection. Every transport operation must remain controllable, reliable and traceable.

Hubtex therefore first analysed the travel routes, interfaces, load transfers, environmental conditions and potential hazards. This resulted in new, coordinated chassis, steering, lifting and protection concepts. Depending on their specific task, the vehicles are equipped with features including shielded, radiation-protected driver cabins featuring lead glass and solid steel walls, protected ventilation systems, fire monitoring, fire-extinguishing systems and emergency steering systems. Position detection, optical track guidance, load-unit tracking and communication systems support controlled integration into the overall process.

The greatest challenge lies not in any individual vehicle, but in the interaction of all functions and interfaces. Mechanics, protection systems, transfers and process monitoring had to be conceived as an integrated overall system from the outset. At the same time, every technical step must still be clearly traceable even many years later

says Frank Knurr, Sales and Project Engineer for the BGE project at Hubtex.

Safety must be demonstrable

The development work therefore encompasses far more than construction. Drawings, calculations and inspection plans specify how the vehicles have to be designed, manufactured and tested. Technical changes are assessed, documented and only implemented following approval. The final documentation reflects not only the planned condition, but also the condition actually manufactured and tested.

Quality assurance in production is also not merely a final inspection step. Materials, welded joints, assemblies and installations are inspected during manufacturing in accordance with defined inspection plans. Depending on the inspection step, representatives of BGE and an independent expert are involved alongside Hubtex Quality Assurance. Additional welding and procedure qualifications, as well as non-destructive testing methods, ensure the integrity of specialised materials, sheet thicknesses and joining techniques.

The project demonstrates how Hubtex translates highly specialised material-flow requirements into individually developed and fully documented special-purpose vehicle solutions. This expertise is relevant wherever heavy, sensitive or hazardous loads need to be moved along restricted travel routes and under demanding environmental conditions, with stringent requirements for safety, process reliability and verification.

Strait of Hormuz Traffic Shifts to AIS-Dark Tanker Operations

Posted on 30 September, 2026 by An Industry Expert

Crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz are continuing despite attacks on individual vessels, but traffic patterns are changing as tankers switch off AIS, sail in convoys and use ship-to-ship transfers to reduce exposure in the chokepoint.

Iran has demanded that vessels use the northern corridor through its territorial waters. However, rising volumes of Saudi, Iraqi and Kuwaiti crude, together with some UAE exports, are moving through the southern corridor, which remains supported by US air defence and naval assets.

Maritime intelligence analysis recorded 55 AIS-visible transits between 16 and 23 September, around 94% below pre-conflict levels of approximately 910 weekly movements. The figure is not considered a reliable measure of actual traffic because tankers are operating with their tracking systems switched off when safety or security risks are present.

The revised operating pattern relies on a tanker shuttle. Large crude carriers enter the Gulf with AIS disabled, discharge cargo through ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman and return through the Strait. Cargo can then be divided between Suezmax tankers for onward delivery, reducing the number of vessels required to make the higher-risk passage.

Between 20 and 22 September, an estimated 26.72 million barrels of crude left the Gulf through the Strait. Around two-thirds was subsequently moved through ship-to-ship transfers. The three-day flow was equivalent to approximately 8.9 million barrels per day, although the figure reflects a convoy peak rather than a sustained export rate.

Saudi crude loadings at Gulf terminals have also recovered from August, reaching an estimated 3.9 million barrels per day during the first 27 days of September. Cargoes tracked from Saudi terminals were mainly bound for China and India, with some relayed through transfer points off Fujairah and Oman.

For logistics and energy-shipping operators in the UK and Europe, the developments add complexity to voyage monitoring, cargo visibility, insurance assessment and tanker availability. AIS gaps also make it harder to distinguish between stalled movements and vessels using deliberate tracking blackout procedures. Although exports have continued, the flows remain vulnerable to further attacks or escalation, which could quickly affect freight capacity, routing decisions and regional fuel supply risk.

People Remain at the Centre of Logistics

Posted on 29 September, 202629 September, 2026 by David Priestman

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond its role as a digital assistant and beginning to take action across supply chains, according to the new DHL Logistics Trend Radar 8.0. The report finds that advances in AI, robotics, and automation are transforming not only logistics operations, but also the workforce itself. As intelligent systems become increasingly capable of planning, deciding and acting autonomously, organizations must rethink skills, safety, governance and employee experience while building more resilient and sustainable supply chains.

“Supply chains are changing faster than ever as AI and workforce trends increasingly influence one another,” said Katja Busch (pictured, below), Chief Commercial Officer DHL and Head of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. “The organizations that succeed will be those that understand these shifts early and are able to turn them into practical advantages for their business and their people. The Trend Radar helps them focus on the developments that will matter most.”

AI becomes an operating layer across logistics

AI in logistics is evolving from assistance to autonomy. Among the most significant findings of the Logistics Trend Radar 8.0 is the emergence of Agentic AI, identified as one of the report’s most impactful trends. Unlike earlier generations of AI that primarily respond to prompts or analyze information, Agentic AI can autonomously plan, decide, and act toward defined goals, enabling closer collaboration between intelligent technologies and human expertise.

Alongside this development is AI Analytics, which enables organizations to uncover patterns, anticipate disruptions, forecast outcomes, and recommend actions at unprecedented speed and scale. Together, these developments are creating increasingly autonomous and adaptive supply chains, enabling tasks such as anticipating inventory shortages, rerouting shipments around disruptions, and dynamically adjusting transport capacity in real time.

The Radar also introduces new trends reflecting AI’s influence in expanding beyond operational efficiency. AI Commerce is transforming how consumers and businesses discover and purchase products, Compute Economy highlights the strategic importance of computing infrastructure and data center logistics, and Humanoids represent an emerging, longer-term trend that could redefine AI-enabled automation in physical environments. Together, these trends signal further transformation across digital and physical supply chains, from AI-assisted purchasing journeys to AI-enabled automation in warehouses.

“Until now, AI has helped people perform tasks more efficiently. The next chapter is about action,” said Klaus Dohrmann, Vice President of Innovation and Trend Research, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. “We’re entering an era of autonomous and physical AI, where intelligent systems can actively perceive the world, navigate complex environments, and make decisions with minimal human intervention.”

The future of logistics remains a people business

The Logistics Trend Radar 8.0 places a major focus on how work is changing as AI, automation, and robotics become increasingly integrated into logistics operations. The report highlights technologies such as wearable sensors, remote operations, collaborative robotics, and AI-powered workplace assistants that help create safer, more productive, and more engaging work environments. By reducing repetitive tasks and supporting day-to-day decision-making, these technologies allow employees to focus on higher-value activities such as problem-solving, customer service, and operational oversight.

Employee Belonging and the Augmented Workplace emerge as key trends as employees increasingly work alongside AI assistants, collaborative robots, and digital tools. The impact of these technologies will reshape hundreds of roles spanning frontline operations, technical professions, and knowledge-based functions, creating demand for new skills and new ways of working. For business leaders, the challenge is no longer simply introducing new technologies, but ensuring employees have the skills, confidence, and support to use them effectively.

Thomas Ogilvie, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labour Director at DHL Group, said:

“Technology is transforming the way we work, but people remain the driving force behind every successful supply chain. We’re already seeing AI assistants, wearable devices, and collaborative robots helping employees work more safely, reduce repetitive work, and focus on higher-value tasks. The future of logistics will not be defined by human versus AI, but by how effectively organizations combine human expertise with increasingly capable technologies.”

Responsible AI becomes a business imperative

As AI systems take on more autonomous responsibilities, organizations must ensure they are deployed responsibly, securely, and transparently. The report highlights trends including AI Ethics and Cybersecurity 2.0, which help organizations balance innovation with governance, resilience, and security. As intelligent systems become increasingly embedded in critical operations such as demand forecasting, inventory planning, and transport decision-making, robust safeguards and human oversight are becoming as important as the technologies themselves.

Sustainability remains a long-term business priority

As in previous editions, sustainability continues to be a core driver of logistics innovation. Trends such as Decarbonization, Sustainable Fuels, Circularity, Heavy Vehicle Electrification, and Light Vehicle Electrification demonstrate how organizations are deploying electric delivery fleets, scaling alternative fuels, and redesigning supply chains for reuse and resource efficiency while pursuing lower-carbon operations.

Automotive Logistics Grows with new Car Carrier

Posted on 29 September, 202629 September, 2026 by David Priestman

Suardiaz Group has expanded its automotive shipping capacity with the departure from China of RS Atlantico, the first of a new generation of dual-fuel PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) vessels joining its fleet.

Its entry into service will strengthen Suardiaz Shipping Lines’ operational capacity in the maritime transport of vehicles and rolling cargo. These are the largest vessels in the company’s history, and with them, Suardiaz claims to have become the first Spanish shipowner to have an LNG-powered vessel in the Car Carrier segment.

The new vessel forms part of the Group’s long-term investment strategy to expand its capabilities, strengthen its position as a global logistics provider and respond to the changing needs of international supply chains.

Over the past six years, Suardiaz Group has invested more than €360 million in a programme of growth encompassing fleet renewal, international expansion, logistics infrastructure and specialised capabilities for the industrial and energy sectors. The investment also includes the continued development of multimodal solutions integrating maritime, road and rail transport, forwarding, industrial logistics, port services and offshore projects.

“International logistics is undergoing a period of profound transformation, and the industry needs reliable partners capable of offering increasingly sophisticated solutions that are prepared to address new challenges. Control over logistics chains is becoming a fundamental asset for the global economy, and this is where Suardiaz, through its investment plan, is positioning itself as an essential player for our customers,” said Juan Riva, CEO of Suardiaz Group.

An investment in support of innovation and sustainability

The addition of this new PCTC reflects Suardiaz’s commitment to continuous improvement, integrating different modes of transport and adapting to the needs of a constantly evolving market. With capacity for approximately 5,500 cars, RS Atlantico has been designed to transport vehicles, machinery and High & Heavy cargo. At approximately 190 metres long and 55,000 GT, it will increase the capacity available to Suardiaz Group’s established automotive customers and strengthen its existing routes.

The vessel is powered by dual-fuel engines capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), a transitional technology aligned with the decarbonisation of international maritime transport and the evolution of environmental regulation within the sector. RS Atlantico is expected to arrive in the final quarter of 2026, while a second vessel will join the fleet in mid-2027.

The addition of the RS Atlantico is an expression of a much broader investment and growth strategy through which Suardiaz Group continues to strengthen its capabilities for the automotive sector and consolidate its position as a global logistics operator, in response to the current and future needs of its customers.

The ‘Data Junkyard’ Is Coming – Is Logistics Ready?

Posted on 29 September, 202629 September, 2026 by Will Priestman

Logistics is producing more data than ever before. But are businesses actually making better decisions with it — or simply creating a bigger problem for themselves?

In the latest episode of Logistics Business Conversations, recorded at Parcel & Post Expo in London, Paul Hamblin is joined by Robert Jordan, CEO of iFactory, for a timely discussion about data, AI and what comes next for the logistics industry.

And one phrase from the conversation may stick with you: the “data junkyard”.

As AI, automation, sensors and connected systems continue to transform logistics, the amount of information being generated is growing at extraordinary speed. But Robert argues that the real challenge is no longer simply collecting data.

It is knowing what to do with it.

Is logistics ready for what comes next?

During the conversation, Robert and Paul explore how AI is changing the way businesses think about data, why some companies may be sitting on far more valuable information than they realise, and how the relationship between people, technology and decision-making could look very different in the years ahead.

There are also some uncomfortable questions.

How much data is too much?

What happens to the information businesses no longer actively use?

Who owns it?

And as AI becomes increasingly embedded within business systems, how confident can companies really be about where their most important information ends up?

From data rich to decision rich

The logistics industry has spent years becoming increasingly connected.

But having more information does not automatically mean making better decisions.

Robert explains why the next stage may be about moving beyond being data rich and becoming decision rich and why businesses that get this wrong could find themselves falling behind as AI develops further.

The discussion also touches on parcel logistics, profitability, operational visibility, automation, data security and how organisations should be thinking about their data strategy now rather than waiting for the technology to move ahead of them.

So, is your data helping your business – or are you simply adding to the junkyard?

Listen to the full episode of Logistics Business Conversations below.

Poland approves 212-hectare rail junction for new airport

Posted on 29 September, 202629 September, 2026 by An Industry Expert

Poland has issued a location decision for a 212-hectare rail and road junction on the eastern side of the country’s planned national airport, enabling construction-permit applications for the junction and related infrastructure.

The decision has immediate enforceability and covers land in Grodzisk County, in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship municipalities of Baranów and Grodzisk Mazowiecki. The project is part of the wider transport programme for the airport planned between Warsaw and Łódź.

The rail element will connect sections of railway lines 5, 85 and 88, linking the airport station with existing and planned routes. The junction will form part of High-Speed Rail Line 85, which is intended to connect the airport with Warsaw and Łódź.

For logistics operators, the development is significant because the associated road network is being designed to provide access to freight-handling yards, passenger facilities, railway maintenance areas and public roads. Existing roads will be reconstructed or removed where necessary, while the new layout is intended to maintain local network continuity.

The designated area covers 212 hectares, of which 85.2 hectares—nearly 40 per cent—has already been acquired through a voluntary property acquisition programme. This provides a foundation for progressing detailed design and permitting, although further land and construction activity will be required before the junction becomes operational.

The rail infrastructure is also being developed to meet dual-use requirements, allowing for civilian and military applications. Design work for Line 85 has received European Union financial support.

The eastern junction follows an earlier location decision covering the airport and transport infrastructure on its western side. Together, the projects are intended to create an integrated air, rail and road network, with the airport initially designed to handle 34 million passengers annually.

For European supply chains, the planned rail connections could improve access to a major Polish passenger and freight hub while strengthening links between central Poland’s road, rail and air networks. The inclusion of freight-handling access at the junction also leaves scope for logistics facilities to be integrated into the wider airport development.

Baltic port cargo throughput tops 8 million tonnes in August

Posted on 29 September, 2026 by An Industry Expert

August cargo throughput at the Port of Gdańsk exceeded 8 million tonnes for the first time, marking a 13.3% increase compared with August 2025 and strengthening the Polish port’s position in Baltic supply chains.

The port handled 57.7 million tonnes during the first eight months of 2026, 10% more than during the same period last year. The latest monthly result follows throughput of 7.9 million tonnes in July.

Growth was spread across several cargo groups. General cargo volumes increased by 21%, adding almost 470,000 tonnes year on year. Container tonnage rose by 15%, while container volumes measured in TEUs increased by 16%.

Liquid fuels remained the largest category, rising 5% in August to 3.9 million tonnes. That represented almost half of the port’s monthly throughput. Ore handling recorded the sharpest percentage increase, up 311%, while grain volumes rose 90%. Other bulk cargo was the only category to decline, falling 12%.

Capacity growth supports regional logistics

For logistics operators, the figures point to sustained demand across containerised, bulk and energy-related flows through one of the Baltic Sea’s major gateways. The diversity of the growth also reduces the risk that the overall result is being driven by a single cargo segment.

After eight months, liquid fuels accounted for approximately 26 million tonnes of the port’s throughput, followed by general cargo at 20.8 million tonnes. The combination of higher volumes and continued investment in port and access infrastructure could support further capacity growth across Poland’s maritime and inland logistics networks.

The result places the Port of Gdańsk on course for a stronger full-year performance in 2026, provided the current level of cargo activity is maintained through the remaining months.

Source: intermodalnews.eu.

New electric rail cranes to raise container siding capacity to 1.2m TEUs

Posted on 29 September, 2026 by An Industry Expert

Two new electric rail-mounted gantry cranes have been delivered to Baltic Hub’s rail yard in Gdańsk, Poland, with the equipment set to increase annual rail-siding handling capacity to 1.2 million TEUs once operational.

The cranes will become the fifth and sixth RMG units serving the terminal’s rail operation. Baltic Hub’s siding comprises seven tracks with a combined length of 5.25km, with each track measuring 750m.

For logistics operators, the additional equipment is intended to improve the transfer of containers between vessels, rail services and inland supply chains. Baltic Hub currently handles almost 800 trains per month, connecting Poland with markets across Central and Eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Ukraine.

Both cranes will feature optical character recognition technology to identify container numbers automatically. They will also include gantry anti-collision systems and 11 cameras to support operators during handling activities.

Further safety and productivity features include micro-movements of the spreader for more accurate container positioning and emergency winch brakes. The steel structures were largely manufactured in Poland, while final assembly was completed at the terminal.

The investment adds capacity at a time when ports and inland networks are under pressure to handle growing container volumes with fewer road movements. Fully electric rail-yard equipment can also support lower-emission terminal operations, particularly when deployed alongside expanded rail connectivity.

By strengthening its rail interface, the terminal is positioning itself to handle more intermodal traffic between the Baltic gateway and inland markets. The increased capacity will be particularly relevant to shippers seeking alternatives to road transport for longer-distance movements across the region.