U.S. Xpress Enterprises Earns A SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers, was honored on Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its SmartWay(SM) Transport Partnership with a SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award. The award recognized the leadership displayed by U.S. Xpress in conserving energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint through a variety of progressive approaches.
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U.S. Xpress went through a detailed application process to be considered for the award. Officials from the EPA evaluated the application, which included the company’s strategies and results from implementing improved aerodynamics on its tractors and trailers, the use of wide-based tires, continued growth in its intermodal program, the use of on-board heaters and an engine idle reduction program.
U.S. Xpress was part of a select group to be honored with a 2009 SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award. The SmartWay(SM) Transport Partnership includes more than 2,100 carriers, customers and organizations related to the trucking industry. Of that total membership, only 37 companies and organizations received SmartWay Environmental Excellence Awards this year.
U.S. Xpress Co-Chairman Patrick Quinn accepted the company’s SmartWay award at an event that was held in conjunction with the American Trucking Associations’ Annual Management Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas. Following the ceremony, Mr. Quinn served as a featured speaker for a panel discussion on developing profitable strategies for green initiatives in the trucking industry.
“The SmartWay Program has been a tremendous addition to the transportation industry, and U.S. Xpress values our position as a SmartWay partner. Everyone at U.S. Xpress shares a great sense of accomplishment in receiving this honor,” said Mr. Quinn. “Our company has a long history of being an early adopter of innovative technology. 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.”
“We believe that conservation is good business,” said U.S. Xpress Co-Chairman Max Fuller, who noted the company’s focus on research is one of the key elements to its approach with green initiatives. “We have been very fortunate to have worked with National Center for Computational Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The computer simulation models generated by these researchers allow us to test possible prototypes before they are manufactured. The computer simulations save on research and development costs which lead to the production of a more effective prototype, especially in the area of aerodynamic improvements.”
According to the EPA’s SmartWay website, the SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award winners are chosen based on their commitment to the environment, progressive action, and innovation, as well as the impact of their example on the entire freight industry. The awards are presented to honor partners and affiliate organizations that have made outstanding contributions to reducing climate change emissions and other air pollutants.
“I commend U.S. Xpress for its leadership in promoting sustainable transportation practices through the SmartWay Transport Partnership,” said Margo T. Oge, Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality at the EPA. “These actions demonstrate a commitment to a cleaner environment and more secure energy supply.”
About U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.
U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. is the nation’s third-largest privately-owned truckload carrier, with a fleet of 8,300 tractors and 23,000 trailers. U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. provides dedicated, regional, and expedited team truckload services throughout North America, with regional capabilities in the West, Midwest, and Southeastern United States. The Company is one of the largest providers of expedited and time-definite services in the truckload industry and is a leader in providing expedited intermodal rail services. Xpress Global Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, is a provider of transportation, warehousing, and distribution services to the floor covering industry. The Company participates in logistics services through its joint ownership of Transplace, an Internet-based global transportation logistics company. Additionally, U.S. Xpress has an 99% ownership interest in Arnold Transportation Services, Inc., which provides regional, dedicated, and medium length-of-haul services with a fleet of approximately 1,175 trucks, and a 90 percent ownership of Total Transportation of Mississippi and affiliated companies, a truckload carrier that provides medium length of haul and dedicated dry-van service with a fleet of approximately 490 trucks primarily in the Eastern United States. Additionally, U.S. Xpress has a majority ownership interest in C&C Transportation of Duncan SC, a truckload carrier providing transportation services along the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Southeast corridor with a fleet of 150 trucks .U.S. Xpress also has a minority ownership interest in Smith Transport, Inc., a truckload carrier that provides medium length of haul and dedicated dry van service primarily in the eastern United States with a fleet of 850 trucks and 3,000 trailers.
SOURCE U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.