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Office Depot, CFI, IBM Among Winners of SmartWay Awards

A total of 34 freight carriers, logistics companies, shippers and affiliates were awarded the second annual EPA SmartWay Excellence Awards for environmental leadership by implementing fuel-conserving technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping operations.

A total of 34 freight carriers, logistics companies, shippers and affiliates were awarded the second annual EPA SmartWay Excellence Awards for environmental leadership by implementing fuel-conserving technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping operations.

The companies have, through their combined commitments to fuel- and energy-efficiency, saved over 600 million gallons of diesel fuel and eliminated nearly 7 million tons of GHG emissions, the EPA estimates.

In order to join the SmartWay program, companies in the fields of shipping, logistics and freight carriers commit to a three-year program, tailored to each sector, that reduce the amount of emissions and wasted fuel, which at the same time increases efficiency and can improve companies' bottom lines. The EPA provides technical assistance to member companies and helps them meet their goals and implement the latest technologies and best practices in fuel and energy efficiency.

Among the notable achievements in this year's awards were the freight carrier Contract Freighters, Inc. (CFI), which has equipped its entire fleet of trucks with fuel saving technologies, including single-wide tires and auxiliar power units, which reduce CO2 emissions by over 19,000 tons per year. The company has taken several steps to reduce idling times, including the use of teams of drivers to limit idling. The EPA said the CFI's upgrades have saved over 73,000 tons of CO2 since the company joined SmartWay.

In the shippers category, Office Depot became the first SmartWay shipper to calculate its entire transportation emissions footprint, including the emissions from all of its contract carriers. The company said it plans to annually track and improve this emissions footprint. Another notable shipper was home-improvement retailer Lowe's, which increased the number of SmartWay carriers it uses in its operations to 62, up from just 4 when it joined SmartWay in 2004.

Logistics company Limited Brands Logistics, which works with brands including Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and New York & Co., has implemented a corporate "no idling" policy for all of their carriers, emphasizes the SmartWay program to its potential shippers, and has reduced its emissions by 34,000 tons through including more intermodal shipments -- those that use both rail and trucks, for instance.

The full list of 34 winners of the SmartWay Excellence Awards, as well as more information about the program, is available at epa.gov/smartway/awards07.htm.

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