EPA SmartWay Partner

NFI is an ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER in the transportation industry.

And we are happy to be an active, contributing part of the green world. Each year, our fleets make an impact by lowering the amount of emissions into the environment by our careful control of fuel conservation and energy efficient measures.

Since 2004, NFI has been a member of the EPA SmartWay Transport Program. This program is collaboration between the EPA and the transportation industry to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. We are proud winners of the 2006 and 2008 EPA SmartWay Excellence Award and we carry the EPA SmartWay logo on all of our trucks.

Our SmartWay Transport Partner Program

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.*

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

For more information on the EPA SmartWay Transport Partner Program, please go to www.epa.gov/smartway.