Con-way Freight today announced that it has received the 2008 Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership for its leadership in conserving energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
The company, a SmartWay Transport partner since 2006, was one of 27 organizations from among the Partnership's more than 1,000 partners to receive this distinction.
The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based freight carrier achieved its fuel conservation and environmental improvements through initiatives including utilization of special aerodynamic fairings to reduce wind resistance and improve fuel efficiency, specification of engine and drive-train combinations that maximize fuel mileage, and the use of engine and transmission lubricants that improve operating efficiency. These efforts and others resulted in 2007 diesel fuel savings of 3,594,377 gallons, as well as reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of 601,928 tons, particulate matter emissions of 32.09 tons and nitrogen oxide emissions of 1,185 tons. Con-way Freight's 8,400-tractor fleet traveled nearly 600 million miles during 2007. The company anticipates an increase in fuel savings for 2008, after lowering the speed governors on its fleet's engines from 65 to 62 mph in March.
"EPA is pleased to recognize this SmartWay partner with a 2008 Excellence Award. I commend Con-way Freight for its leadership in promoting sustainable transportation practices through the SmartWay Transport Partnership," said Margo T. Oge, director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA. "Their commitment is helping lead us toward a cleaner environment and more secure energy supply.”
SmartWay was introduced by EPA in 2004 as an innovative, market-based partnership to reduce fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from the freight sector. Today, more than 1,000 organizations have joined the Partnership, including companies of all sizes — from Fortune 500 companies to family-owned businesses — each working to improve its environmental performance.
"Our participation in the SmartWay Transport Partnership is a key element of our enterprise-wide sustainability mission,” said John G. Labrie, president of Con-way Freight. "This important program has helped us identify and adopt practices and technologies that support our strong commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of our business. Through SmartWay, we have also been able to achieve significant fuel savings, which benefits both the environment and our bottom-line results.”
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