---
title: "Empty Running"
description: "What empty running is in road freight, why it costs carriers, and how much of EU freight travel runs empty."
url: https://dealtilogistics.com/en/insights/empty-running
language: en
date_published: 2026-09-22
date_modified: 2026-09-22
author: "Dealti Insights"
publisher: "Dealti Logistics"
---

# Empty Running

Empty running (also called a deadhead trip) is the distance a truck travels without any cargo on board, typically when returning from a delivery point without a return load or repositioning to the next pickup.

Empty running is a real cost for carriers, since fuel, driver time and tolls are spent without freight revenue; across the EU, roughly a fifth of road freight kilometres run empty, according to Eurostat data cited in [FTL vs LTL: Choosing a Road Freight Mode](/en/insights/ftl-vs-ltl). Route planning and backhaul matching are the main ways carriers reduce it.

---

Source: [Empty Running](https://dealtilogistics.com/en/insights/empty-running) - Dealti Logistics.