Rising operating costs, empty return trips and underutilised trucks continue to undermine profitability in Nigeria’s haulage industry, prompting stakeholders to explore technology and stronger collaboration as solutions at the forthcoming HAULMACE 2026 conference in Lagos.
The event, organized by Haulage & Logistics Magazine is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, November 4, at The Stable Event Center, Surulere, Lagos, under the theme, ‘Technology as an Enabler for More Efficient Haulage Operations: The Need for Industry Collaboration.’
It will bring together operators, manufacturers, technology providers and other industry players to examine how digital platforms and stronger collaboration can improve goods transportation.
A major issue expected to feature in the discussions is the problem of empty return trips, where trucks deliver goods but travel back without securing cargo for the return journey.
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The practice leaves transport operators with unproductive vehicle capacity while still incurring expenses on fuel, maintenance, driver wages and other operational costs, reducing the revenue potential of their fleets.
Alfred Okugbeni, convener of HAULMACE, said inadequate coordination between cargo owners and transport operators, alongside underutilised trucking assets and rising operating expenses, continued to undermine the efficiency and profitability of the industry.
He said digital freight-matching platforms, data sharing and improved fleet management systems could help connect available trucks with cargo owners, reduce empty journeys and improve vehicle utilisation.
According to him, stronger collaboration among manufacturers, cargo owners, logistics providers, haulage operators and technology companies is necessary to develop practical solutions to the industry’s operational challenges.
The conference will also examine how technology adoption and strategic partnerships can reduce avoidable costs, maximise trucking capacity and improve the commercial sustainability of haulage businesses.
Jean-Claude Homawoo, co-founder and chief executive officer of Lori Systems, will deliver the keynote address, bringing perspectives on the application of logistics technology to transportation operations.
The event will also feature a panel discussion involving Anuoluwapo Agboola, chief operating officer of Dukeridges; Omotunde Adunbi Ogunbowale, chief executive officer of Tripple A Logistics; and Oluwafemi Oladokun, managing director of Trucksoft Logistics – Telematics Services.
The panellists are expected to discuss operational realities in Nigeria’s haulage sector and examine how digital solutions, better coordination and industry partnerships can address existing constraints.
Beyond the conference sessions, an exhibition will provide an opportunity for participating organisations to showcase products and services, while stakeholders explore potential business relationships and partnerships across the logistics value chain.
HAULMACE has been organised annually by Haulage & Logistics Magazine since 2015 to promote industry dialogue, knowledge sharing and business networking.
Juliet Onyema is a transport journalist who reports on Nigeria’s transport and automobile industry. She covers emerging Electric Vehicles (EVs), ranging from adoption to usage, automobile firms and transport policies which affect them, and also recurring trends affecting commuters’ mobility interstate and intrastate.