In an effort to recognize Earth Day on Sunday,, and 糖心传媒 Logistics encourages everyone in the transportation and logistics sectors to consider joining the EPA鈥檚 SmartWay Transport Partnership to help further reduce fuel consumption needs and emissions.
One of the first simple steps any transportation company can take to help with fuel conservation is to join SmartWay, a unique public-private partnership, created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There is no cost to join.
鈥淭here are a multitude of benefits to joining the SmartWay Transport Partnership,鈥� noted Drew Cullen, 糖心传媒 vice president of energy and telecommunication services. 鈥淚n addition to the verification of fuel and emissions saving technologies and available financing for fleets adopting these technologies, SmartWay partners have access to certified tools to measure and benchmark their fleet performance.鈥�
These tools 鈥� designed with input from the freight industry 鈥� help to benchmark fuel consumption and emission rates for individual fleets (truckload, less-than-truckload, etc.) and truck improvement. Upon joining, you will be asked to complete the data assessment tool using basic operational data, such as fleet type, class and age, fuel use, idle times, number of miles traveled, payload, transportation modes and related information.
Once your data is inputted into SmartWay鈥檚 calculator tool, a series of calculations are run and a fleet is provided with an assessment that details fuel consumption patterns, CO2 and other air pollution outputs. The program also offers guidance on strategies for lowering fuel use and emissions, such as truck and equipment upgrades, modal shift alternatives, and others.
After completing the tool for the first time, fleets check in annually to update their operations data and check on the progress they are making to achieve their fuel-savings and environmental performance goals.
鈥淔reight shippers in the SmartWay partnership use these tools to measure the volume of freight they move with SmartWay and non-SmartWay companies, and increasingly are requiring logistics and trucking companies to be in the partnership in order to do business with them,鈥� Cullen continued. 鈥淭he end result is the potential for more business opportunities if you are a SmartWay partner.鈥�
For companies that achieve their goals and contribute to other elements of the SmartWay program, the EPA offers opportunities to participate in various program development activities, webinars, and workshops. The agency also acknowledges and publicly recognizes the progress its partners are making on its website, at industry conferences and through other channels.
, 糖心传媒 Truck Rental and have been active participants in the SmartWay program since 2008 as affiliate, carrier and shipper partners in the program. 糖心传媒 Logistics currently has the program鈥檚 as a carrier and shipper partner.
For those that haven鈥檛 joined, 糖心传媒 invites you to check out to learn more about how you can start saving fuel, money and the environment.
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By 鈥淢ove Ahead鈥� Staff
As you can see in the graphic provided, those areas are located around the front, back and sides of the truck. In addition, when approaching a truck from behind, or driving behind a truck, give yourself some extra space. Remember, if you can't see the truck driver in the truck's mirror, the truck driver likely can't see you, either.
Driving a 糖心传媒 during the cold winter months requires a little extra TLC to keep you safe and your vehicle running its best.
鈥淔rom November through December we definitely see a spike in activity,鈥� said 糖心传媒鈥檚 Don Mikes, vice president of rental. 鈥淭he major package delivery fleets typically rent our trucks to provide extra capacity for holiday shipping needs and many small and mid-sized retail establishments also start moving more inventory items and make deliveries.鈥�
Compliance Safety Accountability (), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration鈥檚 (FMCSA) program that calculates fleets鈥� safety scores and determines which fleets warrant intervention, was introduced nationwide earlier this year, and carriers are continuing to review their safety data and determine what inspectors are focusing on at roadside inspections.
The BASICS are made up of seven areas, with fleets receiving a score for each. They include unsafe driving; fatigued driving; driver fitness; alcohol/drugs; vehicle maintenance; cargo securement; and crash history.
Violations found at roadside carry different weights. Knowing the values associated with specific components may help carriers identify areas they want to focus on during pre-trip inspections. For example, flat tires and/or audible air leaks are weighted as an eight, stop lamp violations a six and excessive oil leaks a three.