SmartWay Transport announced the 37 winners of the 2009 SmartWay Excellence Awards at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference in Las Vegas Tuesday.


The EPA 2009 SmartWay Excellence Awards recognize groups for their superior efforts to reduce fuel use and lower carbon emissions from freight transport.

Among the winners were 19 freight carriers: Bison Transport, C.R. England, Celadon Trucking Services, Challenger Motor Freight,
Covenant Transport, Gordon Trucking, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Knight Transportation, LTI Trucking Services, MacKinnon Transport, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Quad/Graphics, Roehl Transport, Schneider National, Stan Koch & Sons Trucking, States Logistics Services, Swift Transportation Co.,
UPS, and U.S. Xpress Enterprises/Xpress Global Systems.

Three logistics companies were honored: Hub Group, Menlo Worldwide Logistics, and
Transplace.

SmartWay also recognized the American Trucking Associations and Cascade Sierra Solutions for their efforts.

"Our company has a long history of being an early adopter of innovative technology," said Patrick Quinn, U.S. Xpress co-chairman. "We have found that the green initiatives we implemented over the years have contributed savings to the company's bottom line while also reducing our carbon footprint."

Together, through the SmartWay Partnership, these companies will eliminate six million tons of carbon dioxide that contribute to global warming and save more than 540 million gallons of diesel fuel, an economic savings of at least $2 billion a year.

"In the past year alone, our industry-leading technologies and policies saved more than 200 million gallons of fuel and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2.2 million tons," said Steve Matheys, executive vice president and chief administration officer at Schneider National. "We're extremely proud that the EPA has recognized our efforts with the Environmental Excellence Award four years in a row - an honor that further drives our commitment to finding new, innovative ways to reduce our energy consumption and minimize our impact on the environment."

In addition, C.R. England saved over 49 million gallons of fuel and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 544,160 tons by implementing fuel saving strategies such as reducing maximum speed and idle time on all trucks, utilizing technology to reduce deadhead miles, and adding aerodynamic equipment to the trucks and trailers.

"Participation in the SmartWaySM Partnership is just one great way the trucking industry can conserve energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions," said Bill Graves, ATA president and CEO. "ATA advocates further strategies that aim to significantly reduce fuel consumption over the next 10 years."

EPA launched SmartWay in early 2004 to address the environmental and economic challenges surrounding growth in the freight industry. Through SmartWay, EPA is now working with over 2,100 businesses to improve both their bottom line and the environment. SmartWay offers tools for evaluating opportunities to lower fuel use and emissions and help in locating financing for the purchase of environmental and fuel saving technology.