Transplace Partnership with SmartWay continues assisting carriers
The Trucker News Services
3/26/2008
PLANO, Texas — Transplace Inc., a provider of transportation management services and logistics technology solutions, has aligned closely with SmartWay, an innovative program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to assist and promote improvements to its motor carrier’s operational processes and achieve heightened environmental performance.
The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a collaborative program developed by the EPA and the United States freight industry to reduce greenhouse gases, air pollution, and to promote cleaner, more efficient surface freight transportation systems. Established with Transplace in June 2006, the SmartWay partnership continues to develop and broaden Transplace’s existing commitment in support of environmentally-conscious business operations and embracing partners that are also strategically aligned with this commitment.
With over 700 enrolled partners, SmartWay brings together freight shippers, motor and rail carriers, logistics services companies and industry associations committed to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The SmartWay program’s three-year commitment requires that partners first measure their current environmental performance, and then set goals to improve this focused aspect of their operations. Carriers achieve their environmental performance goals by improving the efficiency of their fleet operations, while shippers meet their goals by using participating carriers to move a significant portion of their freight.
After learning that SmartWay’s objectives were aligned with its own environmental initiatives, Transplace has since made participation in the SmartWay Transport Partnership a key component of its Carrier Merit Program, which categorizes carriers into tiers based on strict and demanding performance factors. Transplace encourages all contracted carriers to participate in the SmartWay program and has established a key goal for 2008 to make participation in the SmartWay program a requirement for consideration and achievement of their Platinum Carrier status.
“Partnering with SmartWay helps equip Transplace with the toolkit needed to assist our customers in making smart business decisions that will have a positive effect on both their company and the environment,” said Kyle Alexander, Transplace’s leader for strategic carrier development. “We continue to add socially and environmentally conscious motor carriers to our freight network, as more than 50 percent of the freight Transplace controls moves by way of SmartWay carriers. We sincerely appreciate those carriers that invest the resources required to participate in the SmartWay program.”
Transplace is aggressively pursuing green initiatives with its customers by way of more efficient routing, which helps consolidates shipments into multi-stop truckloads to reduce the number of trucks on the road, leading directly to decreased fuel costs, reduced empty miles and emissions and delivered efficiencies across the supply chain. President and CEO of Transplace Tom Sanderson, added, “Transplace is aligned with the SmartWay program and is positioned as a leader in promoting cleaner, safer and healthier environments for its employees, stakeholders, customers, carrier partners and prospects.”
SmartWay will be taking an active role in Transplace’s sixth annual Shipper Symposium held in the John Q. Hammons Center from April 22-24 in Rogers, Ark., which will focus on sustainability in the transportation industry. During the Symposium, representatives from SmartWay will present, “Transportation’s Greener Future,” and will participate in a panel discussion addressing the impact of transportation on the environment.
“Transplace has demonstrated its great commitment to developing leading environmental practices,” said Mitch Greenberg, program manager of SmartWay. “The Shipper Symposium is an excellent forum for shippers and carriers to come together and discuss ways to make positive environmental changes across the transportation industry.”
