In an industry first, Ofload, Australia’s leading digital freight provider, has released DataVerse – an AI-enabled platform for businesses to measure and optimise carbon emissions and freight performance across their entire Australian freight networks.
The breakthrough whole-of-supply-chain tech platform is unique in allowing businesses to aggregate and analyse freight data across all providers and routes.
Ofload CEO Geoffroy Henry says: “We are proud to move a wide variety of freight profiles across Australia, which our customers track on our Carbon Analytics Platform and Performance Analysis tools. But this is not enough – businesses needed a way to see data throughout their entire logistics networks – so DataVerse was born.
“This is a major leap towards better emissions tracking, industry accountability, and ultimately tackling carbon, waste and inefficiencies in supply chains.”
The beta version of DataVerse is now live, piloted in partnership with leading health drink producer, Remedy Drinks. Ofload expects the full version to roll out in Q1 CY2025.
Total visibility over net emissions
DataVerse aggregates previously siloed data from across multiple sources (including non-Ofload freight) to calculate overall freight information, achieving a single view of 100% of businesses’ freight movements.
It integrates with Ofload’s existing Carbon Analytics Platform (CAP) and Performance Analysis tools, providing insights into emissions and supply chain efficiency. The Carbon Analytics Platform (CAP), released earlier this year, provides granular data on road logistics emissions – such as total kilograms of CO2 emissions generated, average emissions per kilometre and per shipment – key to measuring businesses’ end-to-end carbon impact.
All major shippers using Ofload adopted the carbon reporting (including Noumi, Metcash, Kimberley Clark), and the platform has already measured carbon output over 22 million KMs of goods. Now it can provide insights across all Australian freight.
Drive to Net Zero
With the Australian Government committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and ambitious state government targets looming even sooner, decarbonising the logistics industry is mission critical. Without tools to measure the state of emissions, businesses and the industry were not empowered to plan the needed changes.
Articulated trucks account for only 1% of vehicles, but 15% of vehicle emissions, producing 50 times more CO2 than a car,[1] so tackling inefficiencies in logistics can have major immediate impact. With full information available, businesses can now access the data needed to tackle carbon emissions, inefficiencies and waste through their products’ journeys, for example by identifying opportunities to consolidate freight shipments.
Industry accountability
Businesses of all sizes will be able to analyse logistics network performance across the country – a crucial factor in making sales and retaining major customers such as supermarkets – and even compare performance between logistics providers.
“DataVerse enables more accountability and full transparency for the logistics industry,” Ofload CTO Chris McInnes says: “It’s a brave step for Ofload to take, but the uses for this technology are too important not to. Since inception, our mission has been to eliminate waste through the supply chain – and that means across everything from road to rail and coastal.”
DataVerse will put SME businesses on a level playing field with large multi-national companies for the first time, by offering tools previously only affordable or accessible to those with the resources to calculate measurements in house.
New regulatory reality
This is particularly key for small and medium businesses as the deadline for new regulatory requirements approaches.
The passing of the climate-related Financial Disclosures Bill at the beginning of September mandates emissions reporting, starting as early as 2025. Scope 3 Emissions – indirect emissions from an entity’s value chain, including distribution – will need to be included from 2025, and prioritising sustainable practices will be obligatory.
Ofload’s Carbon Analytics Platform, available to non-Ofload shipments through DataVerse, meets and exceeds government reporting requirements, enabling businesses to measure, identify, and reduce the impact of their shipments.
Helping Australian businesses through the supply chain
The first customer to pilot DataVerse, Remedy Drinks, recognises the significant benefits Ofload’s technology will deliver to accelerate its transition to a low-emission supply chain. By adopting the DataVerse platform, Remedy will be able to monitor and optimise its carbon footprint across nationwide logistics operations, aligning with its sustainability goals while improving the transparency and efficiency of its freight management.