Becoming a leader in green transportation doesn’t happen overnight. Since 1978, Schneider has focused on fuel efficiency, freight consolidation and energy conservation to haul an average of 19,318 loads over 8,200,000 miles every day. Its dedication to going green has resulted in Schneider being awarded the EPA SmartWay Excellence Award for the seventh time.
Presented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the award recognizes Schneider for outstanding leadership in freight supply chain energy and environmental performance. The award is the EPA’s highest recognition for organizations that significantly reduce the environmental impacts of the freight sector and is reserved for the top 2 percent of SmartWay’s 3,000 members.
An original member of the EPA’s voluntary SmartWay program, Schneider has worked towards the EPA’s fuel reduction and environmental performance goals to earn the recognition.
“As the SmartWay program completes its 12th year, EPA recognizes its top Carrier Partners for their commitment to an efficient and environmentally responsible freight transportation supply chain,” said Christopher Grundler, EPA’s Office Director of Transportation & Air Quality. “We all depend on the freight sector, and these award-winning SmartWay carriers have demonstrated that it is possible to compete in this space while placing an emphasis on environmental integrity, allowing for reduced fuel costs which increase revenue while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions.”
Schneider recognized early on the importance of investing in technology and practices to conserve fuel and reduce emissions. “We have a long history of sustainability and energy conservation– we’ve been green almost as long as we’ve been orange,” explains Steve Matheys, Schneider’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer. “Operating an energy-efficient fleet makes good sense for our customers, our business and the environment, which is why Schneider continues to invests millions of dollars annually into testing and implementing green technologies.”
Matheys pointed out that Schneider has shared 20 fuel-efficient features it has implemented and even more that are being tested in order to maintain an environmentally friendly fleet.
“Shippers that want to reduce their carbon footprint can do so simply by tendering freight to transportation providers with a demonstrated commitment to running an energy-efficient fleet. When the carrier is greener, the shipper is greener, and the shipper’s supply chain overall is more sustainable,” added Matheys.
Shippers interested in learning what qualifications to look for when choosing a green carrier can learn more in Schneider’s white paper “A Sustainable Future: How to Choose a Transportation Supplier That Shares Your Commitment to Environmental Conservation,” which outlines a two-step process shippers can utilize to move toward a greener business.
As a charter member of the SmartWay Transport Partnership, Schneider joined forces with the EPA and other businesses committed to reducing supply chain’s effect on the environment by improving efficiency and supply chain sustainability. Since the program began in 2004, Schneider and its fellow SmartWay partners have saved a total of 170.3 million barrels of oil and 24.9 billion dollars in fuel costs, while reducing carbon dioxide by 72.8 million metric tons, particulate matter by 59,000 tons and nitrogen oxide by 1,458,000 tons. This is the equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over six million homes.
