The transition we need to make
Road freight is the backbone of South Africa's economy — and one of its largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Improving efficiency simultaneously increases profitability and decreases emissions. We make your business sustainable — and more profitable.
Why this was considered hard
Green freight has historically been considered difficult because of a widespread perception that emissions can only be reduced through new technology or significant capital investment. These perceptions were largely unfounded — and the evidence now clearly shows that green freight is more profitable freight.
The myth that green costs more
Green freight has historically been seen as an expensive add-on — something only large, well-capitalised companies could afford. In practice, the opposite is true. The same actions that reduce emissions — efficient driving, better maintenance, optimised routing, and load management — directly reduce fuel consumption and operating costs. A greener fleet is almost always a more profitable fleet.
Poor understanding of what 'green' actually means
Many operators assumed that greening a fleet required new technology, new vehicles, or significant capital investment. The reality is that the largest gains come from people and behaviour — how drivers operate vehicles, how managers set targets, and how procurement teams select carriers. Technology amplifies these gains; it does not replace them.
The electric truck misconception
Even the transition to electric trucks — once considered prohibitively expensive — has reached an inflection point. The total cost of ownership (TCO) per kilometre for electric trucks is now often lower than for equivalent diesel trucks, and the cost curves are divergent: electric freight operations become cheaper over time as battery costs fall and electricity grids decarbonise, while diesel operations face rising fuel costs, carbon pricing, and tightening emissions regulations.
What makes transition possible
Understanding your cost drivers and selectively targeting activities that reduce costs — while simultaneously reducing emissions — is the core of green freight transition. It is about people and skills. Green Driving. Green Management. Green Procurement. Green results.
Green Driving
Driver behaviour is the single largest controllable variable in fleet fuel consumption. Eco-driving techniques — smooth acceleration, anticipatory braking, optimal speed management, and engine idle reduction — consistently deliver 10–15% fuel savings with no capital investment. Trained, certified drivers are the foundation of a green fleet.
Green Management
Operational improvement starts with measurement. Managers who understand their cost drivers — fuel consumption per kilometre, load factors, route efficiency, maintenance cycles — can set meaningful targets and track progress. Telematics and data analysis turn operational visibility into actionable improvement.
Green Transformation
Developing action plans towards the implementation of electric trucks is the next frontier of green freight. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) modelling now shows that in many use cases electric trucks are cheaper to operate on a per-kilometre basis than diesel trucks — and this advantage is expected to grow over time as battery costs continue to fall and diesel fuel costs rise. Early adopters can reduce operational and financial risk by joining structured pilot projects such as the N3 Electric Freight Corridor (N3EFC), which provides a supported pathway to fleet electrification with shared learning, infrastructure access, and risk mitigation.
Green Procurement
Shippers and cargo owners hold significant leverage. Procurement teams that embed green freight criteria into carrier selection — requiring fuel efficiency data, emissions reporting, and certified driver programmes — shift the entire market. Green procurement is one of the most powerful levers in the system.
Green Results
We drive efficiency. We drive profit. And we produce lower emissions. These are not competing objectives — they are the same objective. A well-managed, efficiently operated fleet with trained drivers and data-informed management produces better financial results and lower emissions simultaneously.
Is an electric truck right for your operation?
Use our TCO calculator to compare the total cost of ownership of electric versus diesel trucks across your specific route profile, monthly kilometres, and fuel costs.
TAG's role in the transition
Building the next generation of road freight networks — with green at the core — requires activation at every layer of the ecosystem. National policy and regulation. Industry partners and stakeholder bodies. Cargo owners and freight buyers. Road freight companies and drivers. Each has a role to play, and not the way it has been for the past 100 years. For new results, we have to change what we are doing. TAG develops and implements strategic action plans that produce results at scale — across companies, industries, and countries.