Greener Trucking

Trucking Can Also Be Green

Trucking is not usually thought of as being environmentally friendly. And with good reason. Trucks emit a significant part of the global supply chain’s carbon footprint. That being said, it’s completely possible to make trucking, and supply chains in general, greener. Here’s a couple of measures you can explore in order to make your supply chain more environmentally friendly. You might find that these will not only have a positive impact on the environment; they can also have a positive impact on your bottom line, making your supply chain leaner and more efficient in general.

Consider LTL shipping

If you’re not shipping large loads — at least not enough to fill an entire truckload — less-than-load (LTL) shipping can be your friend. LTL shipping consolidates multiple smaller loads into a single truckload, so it minimizes the amount of trucks traveling with empty space in their containers. A smart use of LTL will require less trucks and less trips to keep you supply chain going, meaning less emissions for the environment and more money and time saved for your bottom line.

Think Intermodal

Intermodal shipping integrates multiple modes of transportation into a single supply chain to maximize both efficiency and flexibility over long distances. For cross-country hauls, the railway can be your ally when it comes to making your supply chain greener and more efficient. Trains emit only a fraction of the carbon dioxide trucks produce. Simply put, the more trains you use in your supply chain, the smaller your carbon footprint will be. A good 3PL provider can make sure your intermodal supply chain runs smoothly and seamlessly.

Two Words: Off-Peak

Traffic makes everything worse, particularly in trucking. Traffic makes gas tanks empty quicker and delays schedules every day. By delivering during off-peak hours, you can spend less gas as your trucks won’t waste time on traffic jams. Less fuel consumed means less carbon emitted (and more money saved). Once again, what’s good for the environment can also be good for your wallet.

Avoid Dead-Heads

A dead-head refers to any part of the transportation trip in which no freight is being carried. Many trucks complete a shipment, only to head back home with an empty container, burning time and gas money but generating no revenue. Distances traveled by dead-heads are known as empty miles.

Empty miles make supply chains around the world more inefficient and are a drag on any shipping company’s bottom line. Luckily, there are ways to minimize the frequency of dead-head trips. Logistics technology startups such as Miami-based Quickload have combined knowledge and experience from both the trucking and the tech world to keep empty miles at a minimum.

Quickload’s platform allows shippers to find carriers in real-time, making it an ideal tool for drivers who just completed a shipment. Instead of heading back home with an empty container, they can use the platform to quickly find a new shipment headed in the return trip’s direction, thus generating revenue on both legs of the trip instead of just one.

Learn how we can help you make your supply chain more efficient and, yes, greener!

Content Creator: Pablo Torres