In recent years, the focus of policy makers and transport planners has shifted from moving vehicles, to moving people and goods and seeking to moderate transport demand.With this shift has come a greater focus on optimising the use of the transport system, although this has often been on a modal basis or with a bias towards particular modes in order to maximise particular outcomes - for example economic or environmental.

The concept of sustainable freight transport is a common theme of the freight related articles in this edition of Routes/Roads.