Freight transport is the movement of goods or burden from one place to another in the course of a commercial transaction. Freight, on the other hand, is a word that refers to cargo, goods, merchandise or consignment.

The nature and size of individual freight transport operations vary enormously covering several transport media including road, rail, water, air transport and pipeline. Moving freight is a part of our everyday life because it supports the economy and employs millions of people. An efficient system of freight movement also has great importance in facilitating growth within local industries rather than just national or international businesses thus making it critical to have a certain amount of freight management.

The first step in a better economy and a safer world is the development of an effective and appropriate freight management plan to manage freight within a local authority area. This freight management system will signify that we people begin to grasp the broad role of freight within our society. It is thus a prerogative to capture in a balanced way the complex relationship, interactions, benefits and tensions between freight and society.

The importance of freight management could be reasoned because:

  • If you want to maintain and increase economic activity then freight movement is the inevitable consequence
  • Millions of people are employed in the logistics sector
  • Levels of rail freight moved by 2005 have increased by 66% since privatization in 1995
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from road haulers increased by more than a third between 1990 and 2002. Road freight now accounts for 8% of UK carbon dioxide emissions
  • Traffic growth for rigid heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) is forecast to rise by 14% between 2005 and 2020

Freight management is important enough to warrant proper and meaningful consideration, followed by practical action. This is in respect of making the most from the support to the local economy, in better managing road freight movements to minimize their impact and, where there is a viable option, to assist or allow goods movement by rail, air or water.

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