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The road transport sector responds better to voluntary initiatives than rising fuel duty when it comes to reducing long-term carbon emissions, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) carbon dioxide reduction conference heard last week.

James Hookham, policy director at the FTA, cited work by the Commission for Integrated Transport indicating  that fiscal measures such as the fuel duty escalator are not the best way to tackle emissions in the freight sector.

"It is better to work with the grain and ease up on price mechanisms," said Hookham. "Rising fuel prices are robbing small to medium-sized firms of the money to invest in carbon savings."

Professor Alan McKinnon, director of the Logistics Research Centre at Heriot-Watt University, described the UK Government and European Union targets for increasing the proportion of biofuels used in transport to 5% by 2010 and 10% by 2020 as "very premature", as current first-generation biodiesel "may emit more carbon than conventional diesel".

Nevertheless, several UK operators are pressing ahead with alternative fuel trials.

Tony Stuart, fleet director at DHL Express (UK) , revealed details of its biofuel trials.

Two unmodified Mercedes-Benz Euro-3 6x2 units used on long-haul trunking have clocked up 70,000 miles each using B100, a mix of 50% rapeseed and 50% used oil from food production. Results so far indicate that fuel consumption is up 4%, maintenance costs are up 8% – due to two extra oil and filter changes per year – while CO2 emissions are down 60%.

"Drivers have reported no loss of performance, but there is a noticeable and unpleasant smell of mothballs and cooking oil in the workshop," said Stuart.

He added that Mercedes-Benz was happy to be involved in the trial to learn more about biofuels.

Ray Collington, engineering manger at the John Lewis Partnership, is testing five DAF CF75 310 units on pure plant oil (PPO). These vehicles have covered 275,000km with no problems – they deliver the same MPG, the same performance and there have been no effects on engine life," Collington said. "DAF is not happy but we have ignored its comments."

With the current focus on biodiesel, natural gas has become a "forgotten fuel" in haulage, according to Trevor Fletcher, managing director of the Hardstaff Group which includes natural gas supplier Portal Gas Services.

He said the UK has abundant supplies of natural gas from landfill and waste treatment sites, as well as a growing import capacity. "It works today, is cheaper than diesel and doesn't destroy engines," Fletcher said.

Again, Fletcher complained that "DAF doesn't want to know", despite Hardstaff having run part of its own fleet for 375,000km on natural gas with no ill effects.

Turning to vehicle design, McKinnon said that despite the Government deciding not to proceed with trials of longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs), the option to extend semi-trailers to carry an extra six pallets was still a possibility.

Hookham described the Department for Transport (DfT) decision as a "failure of policy-making and imagination".

"The FTA offered to take an evidence-based approach, but we were not given that opportunity," he said "The report from TRL and Heriot-Watt identified the barriers – my frustration is that we were never given a chance to address them."

Volvo Trucks' manager of environment and legislation Ray Cattley described the manufacturer's work on hybrid diesel-electric drives. "By 2009 hybrids will cut fuel consumption by 15 to 20% on local distribution and 30% on refuse collection," he said.

"Hybrid drive refuse vehicles up to 26 tonnes will be in full production by 2010, when we expect a 30 to 35% price premium."

Finally, Bob Monks, general secretary of the United Road Transport Union, reminded operators that if they put pressure on drivers to make deliveries on time, "all the training in world will not stop the driver putting the right foot down".