2 Things to Look for in a Green Transportation Company
An increasing number of companies aren’t just “going green” but also want to know vendors and partners share their commitments to conserving resources and reducing emissions. Logistics managers who are evaluating freight services and want a company who practices green transportation can look for two things: 1) freight services that use less-than truck load (LTL) transportation and 2) freight services that meet CARB requirements.
1. LTL vs. FTL
“Less than truckload” refers to the process of combining smaller partial shipments into one to reduce the number of trips. With LTL, transportation companies identify different shipments that are small enough to fit together in one container, meaning only one long-distance trip is required to cover more than one shipment. As a source of green transportation, LTL saves gas and reduces emissions.
2. California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements
While originating in California, air quality improvement rules instituted by the California Air Resources Board set a national precedent for the reduction of emissions and improvement of air quality. Transportation companies that comply with CARB requirements are ahead of most national standards for green transportation, with provisions including:
Low rolling resistance tires – minimize wasted energy
Side skirts – increase aerodynamics for fuel efficiency
Idling reductions – require drivers to shut engines off while sleeping or at rest
Alternate power sources – include battery packs, truck stop electrical hookups and smaller diesel-powered systems
Vendors specializing in any kind of land, sea or air shipping have a stake in ensuring their activities promote green transportation. If your company has a green vendor policy, asking about LTL options, lowrolling resistance tires, side skirts, idling requirements and alternate power sources is an easy way to assess companies’ commitments to green transportation.
Looking for a green transportation provider? Contact us and ask how our practices and policies are reducing our carbon footprint worldwide.
