Sjoerd Wagenaar: the real reason why transport companies opt for electric driving

How did I conduct my research?  

I have always had a strong interest in the transport sector, particularly in trucks. However, the concept of electric trucks was relatively new to me. I had only taken a short ride once, so my experience and knowledge in this area were limited. Consequently, my research began with a literature study on companies' experiences and the potential benefits of electric trucks. Although I quickly found theoretical answers about the pros and cons, I wanted to uncover the unfiltered opinions of Dutch transport companies.  

Ultimately, I conducted a survey among 50 companies. Of this group, 20 were willing to participate and actually completed the survey. This survey formed the primary data source for my research. It provided insight into the reasons why companies have acquired electric trucks, as well as the pros and cons they see in using them.  

What were the results of my research?  

An important lesson I learned from this research is that companies are much more willing to participate than I initially expected. With a total research period of 7 weeks and no survey sent out after the fourth week, I was initially sceptical about the number of responses I would receive. The fact that ultimately 20 companies were willing to participate was a pleasant surprise. It showed me that the barrier to contacting companies is often lower than anticipated. As long as you have good and clear questions, many companies are willing to cooperate.  

The results of this survey provided valuable information for transport companies. They offered a clear insight into both the advantages and disadvantages of using electric trucks. Some of these insights were obvious, but there were also surprising outcomes that I had not foreseen. To present my findings in an organised manner, I summarised them at the end of my research in a leaflet. This leaflet has been added to the article.  

My advice to other students? 

Advice that I would like to share, not only for myself but for anyone conducting similar research in the future, is: 'Choose a topic you feel comfortable with, so you can continue to develop your own knowledge about subjects that truly interest you.’ Additionally, I want to emphasise that reaching out to companies and professionals in the field is often less daunting than you might think. By simply taking the leap and contacting companies, you can often bring out the best in yourself and ultimately achieve excellent results.  

Initially, I also felt that my research would stall after the literature review. The timeline was tight, and there was limited literature available on the subject. But thanks to the assistance of companies in completing the surveys and my own interest in the subject, I was able to complete my research with an excellent grade of 10. 

Sjoerd is a third-year Logistics Management student at BUas. Find out more via LinkedIn.