Stop Shipping Air: 5 Ways to Maximise Truck Utilisation in Australian Linehaul

In Australian logistics, nothing is more frustrating, for both the shipper (the company that owns the goods) and the carrier (the business that moves the goods), than paying to move an empty truck. At Ofload, we often talk about air as the most moved commodity on Australian roads because it reflects a stark, costly truth about system-wide inefficiency, with an average of 30% trucks travelling empty.

Our expertise is in intelligent, waste-reducing freight solutions. We believe that true supply chain optimisation isn't just about finding the cheapest rate; it's about achieving the most efficient utilisation of every truck, every time, with operational confidence.

Here are five, actionable strategies your team can use to make every linehaul count, run confidently and efficiently.

1. Master the Backload Opportunity

It’s no surprise to any expert in this industry that the single biggest source of wasted capacity is the backload. A truck delivers a full load from Sydney to Melbourne and then faces the challenge of efficiently finding freight for the trip back.

• The Strategy: Don't view a delivery as a single journey; view it as a cycle. Actively seek to partner with platforms or carriers who specialise in dynamic backloading. This turns a potential liability into a profitable asset.
• The Win: You gain access to more competitive rates, significantly lowering the overall transport cost for the round trip, and actively contribute to reducing network-wide emissions.

2. Leverage the Power of a Network

In a complex market like Australian linehaul, the biggest barrier to optimal utilisation is simply a lack of visibility into available space across the entire system. Relying on a small pool of carriers limits your ability to find the perfect match.

• The Strategy: Treat capacity as a network asset. Use a digital platform that aggregates available capacity across a wide, vetted pool of carriers. This allows the system to instantly locate partial space that perfectly aligns with your smaller freight needs.
• The Win: This network effect enables you to instantly find partial capacity you would never access through traditional means. By filling that space, you speed up your delivery time while reducing the overall cost of moving that freight.

3. Consolidate Middle Mile in Real Time

Freight consolidation is the practice of combining multiple smaller Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) shipments into one Full-Truckload (FTL) movement. This is a crucial strategy for the middle-mile of road freight Australia.

• The Strategy: Avoid automatically booking LTL when consolidation is possible. Partner with a logistics provider whose technology platform actively searches for adjacent loads, allowing you to combine shipments to fill available space. For example, Ofload’s nationwide carrier network and smart matching technology ensure every load is matched with the right carrier - reducing empty space.
• The Win: Consolidation stabilises carrier schedules, keeps trucks full and profitable, and ensures your freight moves quickly and reliably to your warehouse, DC, or customer.

4. Break Down the Wall Between Planning and Execution

In traditional logistics, the data disconnect between planning and execution is a major cause of truck underutilisation. A plan without robust data will not translate to good execution. Poor planning contributes to traffic congestion, which is forecast to cost the Australian economy $39.8 billion by 2031 (Infrastructure Australia).

• The Strategy: Adopt a digital system that provides transparent data flow between planning and the carrier network. If a scheduled load shrinks, the available space should be flagged to suggest the most efficient course of action to fill the gap.
• The Win: Proactive communication prevents trucks from leaving with wasted space, and more importantly, ensures that every load is professionally secured and balanced. This active capacity management leads to predictable, smooth service and significantly reduces the potential for costly delays.

5. Demand Waste Reduction Reporting

If you can’t measure your waste, you can’t manage it. Moving beyond basic freight cost reports to detailed efficiency metrics is essential for continuous improvement. For example, we’ve supported a customer to measure their emissions, set a baseline, leverage our tech to consolidate and actually reduce emissions on a lane by 20%. 

• The Strategy: Insist that your logistics partners provide granular data on the efficiency of the transport service. Dive into metrics that report on truck utilisation rate as well as carbon emissions per shipment.
• The Win: Visibility into these metrics allows your Supply Chain Manager to benchmark, negotiate with data-backed authority, and actively contribute to your company’s sustainability targets. This demonstrates a commitment to both operational excellence and ethical responsibility, as well as support the mandate to report on supply chain emissions in 2026.

Drive Efficiency, Build Reliability with Ofload

Managing utilisation in the Australian linehaul market is tough; it requires massive network intelligence and flawless execution.

At Ofload, our platform is specifically engineered to eliminate the systemic waste of empty running and low utilisation that plagues road freight Australia.

We give you the pow

• Optimise Space Confidently: Our innovative platform means we can support with efficient load planning, helping you fill available space.
• Access the Backload Market: We connect you with a vast network of vetted carriers actively seeking backloads, guaranteeing you access to capacity when others are running empty.
• Reduce Emissions: We help you measure your carbon emissions on every load, set a clear baseline, and actively support reduction through strategic consolidation and co-loading.

It's time to simplify your freight and make reliability your competitive edge. Partner with us to ensure every kilometre you pay for is moving your business forward.