Taking Care of Business (taken from GreenBuzz website)
Green trucking is on a roll.
Over the past several months, we’ve seen a growing focus on the environmental impacts of transport — planes, ships, trains, and trucks, each of which has its own energy and environmental impacts. Now, with diesel fuel averaging well over $4 per gallon and increased concern about climate change, air quality, and inner-city asthma, it’s truckers’ turn to be in the spotlight.
Last week, the American Trucking Associations rolled out a sustainability program aimed at putting the brakes on fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Among other things, the group advised truckers to set speed governors on new trucks to 68 miles per hour or less, using 27 percent less fuel than when traveling at 75 miles per gallon, and avoiding some 31.5 million tons of carbon emissions. Meanwhile, several large trucking companies operating in West Coast ports announced they would switch older diesel trucks over to ones that run on cleaner liquefied natural gas to reduce air pollution.
Some companies already have steered in the direction of cleaner freight. In March, for example, Con-way said it would slow down its 8,400 trucks to 62 mph to curb fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Wal-Mart, Pitney Bowes, and DTE Energy are among firms seeking to green up their fleets. UPS , DHL, and Fedex are vying to be the greenest package-delivery company, using a variety of cleaner-trucking technologies. And dozens of truckers and shippers have joined the U.S. EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership.
(You can find more stories on the greening of trucks here.)
It’s a trend that’s shifting into high gear, and none too soon: The act of moving materials and finished products around the globe can represent significant sources of emissions for companies. With encouragement from customers — especially everyday business customers — we’ll no doubt see large-scale movement to big rigs with smaller impacts.
– Joel Makower, Executive Editor
May 14, 2008 at 7:22 pm |
Going green huh? Is this something FCT is considering? I would like to see more trucking companies take an interest in going green.
June 6, 2008 at 4:41 pm |
Nice move by ATA. Congrats!!!
Its good to implement emission reducing methodologies in trucking.
August 13, 2008 at 5:33 pm |
Let’s be honest. For most fleet operating companies, our Green Policy is motivated by the green color of money, not the re-greening of our planet. The reduction in CO2 emissions as a result of industry fuel conservation efforts is a benefit derived primarily from our financial, not environmental, concerns.
Most truckers today are a far distance from having a comprehensive Green Policy.
To illustrate the gap, ask yourself this: “How many of the fleet operating companies that have joined SmartWay recycle bottles from their Coke machines and paper from their printers?” When the motivation to make change shifts away from financial gain, we tend to lose interest in the environmental opportunity
October 2, 2008 at 3:29 pm |
Well actually, at First Call we do recycle all our own paper and we also offer paper recycling services for our customers as well – we provide the bins and pickup as needed. Additionally, we offer co-mingled recycling in office (plastic, aluminum, glass etc).
When we use an outside carrier we donate to their national CO2 reduction program (it’s $1.50 extra per shipment).
We are also a member of the Sustainable Business Leaders Program which requires all its members to write up and submit an Action Plan under the guidance of one of its directors. Over the next year we are expected to put the Action Plan into practice. We will be up for a review next year at this time.
Because of our commitment to this program, four students in the SIFE program at Boston College (which connects entrepreneurship with community service) will be working with us as part of our “Green Team.”
So yes, “green washing” is common – some organizations are claiming to be green to capitalize upon it, but we really and truly have a commitment to improving our overall sustainability and lessening our carbon footprint.
November 10, 2008 at 5:10 pm |
Good to hear this from FTC. Green Trucking seems to be the buzz word. Thumbs up for those businesses who already started thinking green.
June 17, 2009 at 12:21 am |
Any one serious in going GREEN should really check out the website. Not only does the product reduce emissions and carbon output it reduces maintenance costs
by keeping valves and injectors cleaner and helps to
increase miles per gallon. The ice road truckers even
had a piece on the product. It has been around for over
37 years so it definitely has a good track record.