By Reagan Payne

In May 2020, Werner Enterprises introduced an initiative aimed to drive innovation in transportation. Increasing the workday efficiency of truck drivers reduces their carbon footprint and saves the planet one delivery at a time. 

For its efforts, Werner was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as one of 58 trucking companies in America – and six Hiremaster clients – for the SmartWay Excellence Award. Nearly 4,000 companies are considered annually.

The annual award honors company partners for superior environmental performance. Awardees are selected based on annual freight assessment and data from emissions tracking tool submissions. Leadership criteria are also considered. Because of COVID-19, this year’s award ceremony was executed virtually.

The SmartWay Partner program launched in 2004 as a market-driven initiative that encouraged companies to ship products in the most environmentally-friendly way possible, effectively reducing air pollution and protecting public health.

Since the beginning of the program, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting more than 134 million metric tons of harmful air pollution, while saving 280 million barrels of oil and $37.5 billion in fuel costs.

Partners also help protect clean and healthy air by significantly reducing pollution that contributes to smog, including fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.

“These carrier award recipients continue to lead through these challenging times, working diligently to deliver to our families the goods and supplies we need each day while contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future for our children,” said Karl Simon, the director of EPA’s Transportation and Climate Division.

Werner Enterprises has earned the award seven of the eight years since making its debut on the list in 2013. It missed in 2016, but making environmental performance a priority, it returned in 2017 and has not missed since. 

Werner delivered its offering to the latest technology in the transportation industry through its EDGE arm. One of the first solutions to launch from the initiative is a tablet-based solution in which drivers will see many benefits, including freedom of mobility, ease of use, time savings, a focus on safety, and more. 

“Werner Enterprises is proud to invest in the latest technology that allows us to work toward fuel-efficient sustainability initiatives,” President and Chief Executive Officer Derek Leathers said. “Werner has conserved more than 265 million gallons of fuel since 2007, reducing our carbon footprint by more than 3 million tons."

The other Hiremaster clients recognized by the award are J.B. Hunt, Hub Group, Wilson Logistics, Freymiller, and Roehl.

Since 2017, J.B. Hunt has used selective catalytic reduction and solar panels to reduce pollutants and enhance fuel efficiency. Much like Werner, this company utilizes tablets to reduce paper use. It also developed a solution in 2019 to eliminate the long wait times and unnecessary idling of trucks waiting for loading and unloading.

In addition to the EPA award, Hub Group also was recognized by Food Logistics as a Top Green Providers in 2020. This award recognizes companies whose products, services, or exemplary leadership is enhancing sustainability within the food and beverage industry.

“This recognition by Food Logistics as a Top Green Provider underscores Hub Group’s commitment to sustainability in the supply chain,” Chairman and CEO David Yeager said. “We strive to be the industry leader in environmentally sustainable practices.” The company developed an algorithm designed to measure, monitor, and reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain. 

Schneider is another trucking company with a relationship with Hiremaster on the SmartWay Award list. It earned its spot by continuously improving gas mileage within its fleets.

Employing an in-house staff of engineers and innovators, Schneider is always on the cutting edge with original ideas constructed within its own walls and shares its original findings with the entire industry, improving air quality for us all.

HireMaster is proud to be utilized by these companies in an effort to find the best-fit employees for the job. Not only is the environment a top priority for these employers, but many of their initiatives include streamlining a driver’s daily workload. They understand that change happens on an individual level and always have their drivers in mind.

Reagan Payne is a staff writer with Wright Media. She can be reached at rpayne@wrightmediacorp.com