What is transport mode matching?
When goods move through your supply chain — from suppliers to your facilities, or from your facilities to customers — the method of transport determines the carbon footprint of each shipment. To calculate these emissions, each transport mode in
Root needs to be linked to a reference dataset that contains the environmental impact data for that type of freight transport.
This linking step is what we call transport mode matching.
How transport modes work in Root
When you first set up your company in Root, a set of default transport modes is created for you:
Aircraft
Train
Truck/Lorry
Commercial vehicle
Containership
No transport
These defaults come pre-matched to reference datasets, so they're ready to use immediately.
When you upload transport data, any new mode names that don't match an existing default are created as custom transport modes. Custom modes start out unmatched and need to be linked to a reference dataset.
How to match your transport modes
Step 1: Review your transport modes
Go to the Transport Modes section. You'll see a list of all transport modes with their current status:
Complete — The mode is linked to a reference dataset. Ready for calculations.
Incomplete — No reference dataset has been assigned yet.
Step 2: Select a reference dataset
For each unmatched mode, open the reference options. You'll see a structured, hierarchical list of available datasets. For example:
Truck
> Fleet average
> Articulated
> Euro 3
> Euro 4
> Euro 5
> Euro 6
> Rigid
> Small
> Medium
> Large
Ship
> Container ship
> Bulk carrier
> Tanker
Aircraft
> Freight
> Belly freight
Train
> Fleet average
> Electric
> Diesel
Select the option that best matches the type of transport. Each option shows its environmental impact per ton-kilometer.
Step 3: Done
Once a reference is assigned, Root automatically recalculates the impact for all shipments using that mode. You don't need to re-upload any data.
How impact is calculated
When a transport mode is matched, Root calculates the impact for each shipment:
1. Distance — Calculated automatically from the departure and arrival addresses using geocoded coordinates. You can also provide distances manually.
2. Dataset selection — Root picks the right version of the dataset based on geography and distance:
For sea freight: uses global dataset
For air freight: selects long-haul, medium-haul, short-haul, or very-short-haul based on distance
For land freight: tries to find a dataset matching the common geography of the two addresses, then falls back to rest-of-world, then global
3. Impact — The dataset's emission factor is multiplied by the shipment distance and weight.
Impact = dataset impact per ton-kilometer x distance x weight
What happens when you update a transport mode
When you assign or change a reference dataset for a transport mode, Root automatically:
Clears the old impact calculations for all affected shipments
Triggers a recalculation of distances and emissions in the background
Updates the status of each shipment as the calculation completes
You can track the progress in the transport section. Individual shipments will show one of these statuses:
Complete — Distance and impact have been calculated successfully.
Calculating — The recalculation is in progress.
Incomplete — No transport mode is assigned to this shipment.
Error — The calculation failed (usually due to an address that couldn't be geocoded).
Owned vs. third-party transport
Each transport mode can be flagged as "owned" (company-operated) or not. This affects two things:
Impact data — Owned and third-party transport may use different emission factors from the reference dataset.
GHG scope allocation — The ownership determines which GHG scope the emissions fall under:
Owned vehicle, inbound — Scope 1 (direct) + Scope 3.4 (upstream fuel)
Third-party, inbound — Scope 3.4
Owned vehicle, outbound — Scope 1 (direct) + Scope 3.9 (downstream)
Third-party, outbound — Scope 3.9
Some reference datasets support an "owned" variant, and some don't. If a dataset doesn't support ownership, the mode is automatically set to third-party.
Inbound vs. outbound transport
Root tracks inbound and outbound transport separately:
Inbound transport is linked to purchase orders — goods moving from suppliers to your facilities.
Outbound transport is linked to sales orders — goods moving from your facilities to customers.
Both use the same set of transport modes and the same matching process. The only difference is how the GHG scope is assigned.
Deleting transport modes
A transport mode can only be deleted if no shipments reference it. If it is in use, you'll need to reassign those shipments to a different mode first.
Tips
The default modes cover most common scenarios. Check if an existing default already fits before creating a custom mode.
Be specific when possible. Selecting "Truck > Articulated > Euro 6" gives more accurate results than a generic "Truck > Fleet average."
Fix address errors to get accurate distances. If a shipment shows an error status, it's usually because one of the addresses couldn't be geocoded. Correcting the address in the Addresses section will trigger a recalculation.
You don't need to re-upload data after matching. Changing a transport mode's reference automatically recalculates all affected shipments.