Tracking the transportation of your goods is a key part of measuring your emissions. In CarbonTrail, freight data is calculated using a specific measurement called tonne-kilometers (often written as ton-kilometers).
Here is how to calculate and enter your freight data manually.
What You Will Need
Before jumping into the platform, you will need to gather the following information for the previous 12 months:
Where your freight departs from and where it arrives.
The total weight of the goods shipped.
The main method of transportation used (e.g., road, sea, or air).
Your data organized by month and by supplier.
How to Calculate Tonne-Kilometers
Since CarbonTrail requires freight data to be entered in tonne-kilometers, you will need to do a quick calculation before entering your numbers.
The Formula: > Weight of goods (in tonnes) x Distance traveled (in kilometers) = Tonne-kilometers.
Example Calculation: If you sent 500 kilograms of goods across a distance of 100 kilometers in a given month:
Convert kilograms to tonnes: 500 kg is 0.5 tonnes.
Multiply by distance: 0.5 tonnes x 100 kilometers = 50 tonne-kilometers.
Step-by-Step Guide
Once you have your tonne-kilometers calculated per month and per supplier, you are ready to add them to CarbonTrail:
Navigate to the Freight section in your data entry table.
Select your freight supplier from the list.
Choose the specific freight activity that corresponds to how the goods were transported (e.g., road freight, air freight, domestic sea freight, or international sea freight).
Enter your calculated tonne-kilometers into the corresponding monthly fields.
Repeat this process for any other transportation methods or suppliers your organization uses.
Your changes will automatically save as you enter your data.
Need help?
Freight calculations can sometimes be tricky! If you are having trouble getting a hold of your data, or need a hand calculating your tonne-kilometers, please reach out to the CarbonTrail team by hitting the chat icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. We are more than happy to help you get it sorted.