Environmental Contributions

Environmental Contributions and Social Responsibility

NFI has undergone an amazing transformation in an effort to conserve fuel - and we realize that any measures we take will make a positive impact on the environment.

Transportation industry pollution statistics are not positive. Ground freight in the US is a major source of greenhouse gases, responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions, 31% of particulate matter emissions and 40% of NOx emissions.*

NFI is one of the fuel conservation leaders in the industry and always one of the first companies willing to test any product that helps lower emissions and conserve fuel.

Each year, fuel conservation goals are established. In order to reach them, many initiatives are put into place. Tractor trailer speeds have been lowered, current truck engines have been reconfigured to reduce their fuel requirements, and new trucks have been designed to maximize efficiency and minimize carbon output. We have also begun to use super single tires. The advantage of using one tire in place of the usual two is less rolling resistance and less weight for the truck to expend fuel pulling.

We started a driver education program called “Maximize Your Miles”. The approach is to encourage drivers to see the direct benefits to them if they improve their fuel efficiency. Drivers are trained to drive more efficiently through the use of in-truck training and state-of the-art simulator training. They are encouraged daily to reduce idle time and check tires regularly for proper pressure.

Truck drag has traditionally been an area that consumed fuel. NFI looked for ways to increase the aerodynamics of its fleet to help with this. We outfitted our tractors with items such as fuel skirts which allow the air to flow around the bottom of the trailer, reducing drag. Even using something as simple as slatted mud flaps helped cut down the drag by allowing air through the slats.

According to the EPA, truck idling currently consumes over 1 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year and emits 11 million tons of CO2, 200,000 tons of NOx and 5,000 tons of particulate matter each year. A typical truck could idle up to 2,400 hours per year, using up 1,900 gallons of fuel.

One of the best ways to prevent idling is by installing Auxilliary Power Units (APUs) on tractors and limiting a truck’s idling time. When the truck is turned off, the APU unit is switched on so the driver can use the tractor’s heating, air conditioning, radio etc. for their comfort during a rest stop. Over half of our sleeper fleet has been outfitted with APUs and our goal is 100% by the end of the year.

By putting these initiatives into place, focusing on fuel conservation and changing the way we think, we reduced CO2 emissions by 230,711 tons, particulate matter by 42 tons and NOx emissions by 1,250 tons in 2007**. We are currently working on our 2008 measurements and we expect our reductions to be better each year as we continue to learn new ways to conserve fuel.

*According to the EPA.
**Numbers are based on annual fuel savings

NFI is a SmartWay Transport Partner

The SmartWay Program is an “Innovative collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry designed to increase the energy efficiency of the freight delivery system in order to reduce greenhouse gases
and air pollution.”

It was started by the EPA in Feb. 2004 and NFI was one of its first members.

Currently, there are 1,049 total partners – that represents 638,044 tractors.

Members of the SmartWay Program are companies that are involved with truck and rail transportation.

All NFI trucks carry the SmartWay Transport Partner logo.

NFI won the EPA’s SmartWay Excellence Award in 2006 and 2008.

Achieving our SmartWay Transport Partner Goals

Fuel Saving – Emissions Reducing Technologies

Fuel Performance Initiatives

Current Tests:

• Automatic Transmission
• Synthetic Engine Oils Fuels- NanoBlock, Royal Purple
• Engine parameter changes for truck computer to enhance performance
• Replace drive with Steer tires
• Fuel Additives - Enteburn

Future Tests:

• Battery powered APUs
• Communication upgrade for enhanced performance data reporting
• Trailer Tire Pressure Sensors integrated w/ trailer tracking
• Enhanced system audit of fuel purchases v. consumption

Social Responsibility

• Recycle tires for use in playgrounds, gravel
• Recycle waste oil to use in heaters
• NFI BioFuel division
• Solar panels on trailers to run tracking devices
• Encourage use of NFI RoadRail intermodal division
• Office recycling in all locations
• Reduced waste by 50%
• Double-sided printing reduced paper usage by 50%

Retrofitting warehouses with fluorescent lighting

Warehouses using high pressure sodium or metal halide lighting are being retrofitted with High Output T-8
fluorescent lighting.

A High Output T-8 fluorescent light provides the same light levels as a T-5 fluorescent light but uses less energy and the bulbs are less expensive.

In our New Concord warehouse we are projected to save about 75% of the cost of electricity used for lighting. That is a savings of over 3,000,000 kilowatt hours a year.

So far, this has translated into a 33% energy savings overall.