EPA recognizes freight industry leaders

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored 75 truck carriers, logistics providers, and freight shippers nationwide as industry leaders in supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency with its annual SmartWay Excellence Awards. EPA recognized the award recipients during a virtual ceremony on Nov. 5.

This year’s awardee list is a diverse group of large and small companies from across North America. Many received the SmartWay Excellence award for the first time, while others have received the award at least five times, and three awardees earned the recognition in multiple categories.

“Today, EPA is recognizing leaders in sustainable freight and transportation, an industry that has proven — particularly in this last year — to be absolutely vital to our economy and our way of life,” said Karl Moor, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “There is not a family business anywhere in America, a Fortune 500 company, or farm that doesn’t rely on the freight system in some way.”

On average, the transportation system moves about 49 tons of freight valued at more than $53 billion per day, Moor said. More than 72% of this freight — 80% by ton and more than 70% by revenue — moves by truck. Nearly 8 million people are employed by trucking-related jobs, of which 3.6 million are truck drivers, Moor added.

“This year it hit home in an awful way for many of us how much we depend on you,” Moor said, holding back tears. “The job you did this year saved lives. You helped me, you helped my family, you helped millions of Americans come through one of the biggest crises we’ve ever faced. If you hadn’t been willing to do it, if you hadn’t been willing to put yourselves out there, all of us would have suffered more than we could have ever imagined. If you had stopped, we would have stopped. Our lives depended upon you this year.

“You came through against the uncertainty and against the horror of a plague that we didn’t understand,” he continued. “Drivers got in trucks, drove across country to deliver the things that kept us all alive. If there are heroes anywhere on the planet I would say that a truck driver driving across a desolated and empty landscape as people sheltered inside proved to be one of the greatest heroes in America and elsewhere in the world by deciding that they would risk it, do their job, and provide something that would keep families alive.”

Karl Simon, director of EPA’s Transportation and Climate Division, echoed Moor’s sentiments, adding that SmartWay partners and their peers move $19 trillion worth of goods each year.

“All of this activity carries an environmental price tag," Simon explained. "Millions of U.S. families still breathe unhealthy air, especially those who live by freight ports, seaports, and rail yards.”

Simon added that transportation is also the largest contributor to the nation’s climate emissions. Freight currently accounts for about a third of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, freight activity is expected to quadruple by 2050 with associated emissions increases, he said.

Simon commended this year’s award recipients for their continued efforts to reduce emissions and advanced toward a greener goods movement.

“Companies are finding new opportunities to save money, gain visibility into their freight operations, and improve shipper-carrier relations,” Simon noted. “By integrating efficiency into the corporate DNA, they’re demonstrating that cleaner and leaner supply chains are not just good for the environment, it’s good business, and that is something everyone can support.”

Penske Logistics was among 58 trucking and multimodal carriers to receive the award.

“We are very proud to receive the SmartWay Excellence Award and commend our fleet and environmental teams for their outstanding work in support of this program,” said Jeff Jackson, Penske Logistics senior vice president of operations – dedicated contract carriage. “We continue to make significant investments and improvements to our dedicated carriage fleet to enhance its environmental performance.”

“Penske continues to incorporate the best green practices and products currently in the marketplace,” added Mike Costanza, Penske director environmental services. “We are dedicated to using our leadership position within the transportation industry to promote the SmartWay brand and encourage participation. We believe the SmartWay program plays a critical role in improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation industry.”

Heartland Express Inc., which also received a SmartWay Excellence Award, said its ongoing investment in its tractors and fleet technology directly contributes to the company’s carbon footprint reduction. Heartland’s tractor fleet is equipped with aerodynamic technologies, idle management controls, and speed regulations.

“Our partnership with SmartWay demands consistent, high-level performance year-over-year. This complements our continuous focus on providing a quality experience for our customers, community, and professional drivers,” noted Mike Gerdin, president and CEO. “Receiving the SmartWay Excellence Award six times in the last eight years, is a testament to this partnership and our dedication to protect the environment. We have made this possible by executing the principles we set forth and continuously striving for innovative yet environmentally friendly solutions.”

To become an EPA SmartWay award recipient, companies must be top performers within their partner category and size group as measured by miles of freight moved. Each company also undergoes a corporate environmental screening prior to selection. In addition, shipper logistics and multimodal candidates submit an application to demonstrate environmental leadership in freight operations.

“Out of our 3,700 SmartWay partners, only the top 1 to 2% have earned this distinguished award,” Simon said. “These companies are setting the gold standard in the goods movement. As we all know, the world around us is rapidly changing. The pandemic accelerated trends in e-commerce, information technology, and corporate and social responsibility reporting that will continue to have ripple effects across supply chains and industries.”

EPA’s 2020 SmartWay Excellence Award recipients are: