Carriers Make G75 Green Partner List

by Talk Business & Politics ([email protected]) 109 views 

For the seventh consecutive year, ABF Freight System Inc., which is owned by Fort Smith-based ArcBest Corp., was named a Green Supply Chain Partner.

The carrier announced the honor in a news release June 23. Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. was also named a Green Supply Chain Partner.

Each year, editors of Inbound Logistics magazine choose 75 companies to be Green Supply Chain Partners based on the following benchmarks: measurable green results, sustainability innovation, continuous improvement and industry recognition.

“Our annual G75 list showcases the sustainability best practices these companies employ in their supply chain, logistics and transportation operations,” according to the magazine.

“For 40 years, ABF Freight has been conserving fuel and reducing emissions by voluntarily limiting the maximum speed of its trucks,” ABF said in a news release.

ABF Freight trucks are limited to a maximum speed of 63 mph for optimal fuel efficiency, the release shows.

“It’s a great honor to once again be recognized by Inbound Logistics as a G75 company,” ABF Freight president Tim Thorne said in the release. “Our new and innovative equipment is at the heart of our sustainability achievements.”

The company recently purchased 600 road tractors with improved fuel economy, decreased emissions and automated manual transmissions. It also bought 800 28-foot trailers with aerodynamic trailer skirts and has retrofitted nearly 15,000 trailers with skirts to reduce wind resistance and improve fuel economy.

“ABF Freight has invested heavily in our fleet, which enables us to more efficiently serve our customers while also achieving reductions in CO2 emissions,” Thorne said.

J.B. Hunt has converted over-the-road truck freight to energy-efficient intermodal, the magazine shows. In 2015, this conversion led to the reduction of carbon that’s equivalent to removing more than 560,000 cars from U.S. highways for one year.