The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored Contract Freighters Inc. (CFI) with the 2006 SmartWay Excellence Award. CFI was among 24 companies and organizations to receive the award.

CFI Vice President of Maintenance Bruce Stockton credits the award to the transition that the company began in 2004 by equipping its tractors and trailers with Michelin X One single-wide tires. "The Michelin X One has allowed CFI to improve our fleet fuel mileage by a solid two-tenths of a mile per gallon," said Stockton. "At $2.50 per gallon, that will save our company $4.25 million annually. That's nearly $1,850 per year per truck."
CFI's entire fleet of 2,300 company-owned tractors runs on X One tires, as well as a significant number of the company's 160 owner-operators. The company has also converted approximately 1,100 of its 7,000 trailers to X One tires and will continue to convert 1,000 trailers per year, said Stockton.
EPA selected the winners of the 2006 SmartWay Excellence Award based on numerous criteria including technological and strategic initiatives implemented and overall impact of the organization on the environment. Other criteria include actual fuel savings and emission reductions in contrast to the organization's overall fuel consumption and emissions.