U.S. EPA Recognizes Two New England Based Freight Industry Leaders for Environmental Performance

U.S. EPA Recognizes Two New England Based Freight Industry Leaders for Environmental Performance

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. and The TJX Companies, Inc. of Massachusetts win 2024 SmartWay Partner Awards

September 25, 2024

BOSTON (Sept. 25, 2024) - Today,the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring 47 truck carriers and freight shippers nationwide as industry leaders in supply chain, environmental, and energy efficiency with the annual SmartWay Excellence Awards. This year's SmartWay Partner awards were announced today at a virtual award ceremony hosted by EPA with its SmartWay Partners, affiliates, key stakeholders, and media in attendance. The two New England based SmartWay shipper partners receiving 2024 Excellence Awards are Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. of Lakeville, Mass. and The TJX Companies, Inc. of Marlborough, Mass.

The awardees represent the top performing, environmentally responsible SmartWay Partners who move more goods, more miles, with lower emissions and less energy. Today's awardees demonstrate how businesses in this crucial economic sector continue to lead through challenging times, demonstrating superior freight performance by saving fuel, shrinking their greenhouse gas footprints, and contributing to cleaner air in the communities they serve.

"Everyone deserves clean air to breathe, no matter where they live or work. With such a dense transportation network here in New England-often with highways running straight through communities-it's essential that we find innovative ways to reduce emissions by more efficiently transporting people and goods," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "With transportation responsible for nearly a third of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions-and freight making up a quarter of that-it's important that we recognize the trucking and shipping companies actively working to reverse that trend. Our SmartWay Partners' efforts not only lower emissions through greater efficiency, but also improve air quality for communities living near highways and freight facilities, making a real difference in people's lives."

Both Ocean Spray and TJX have been SmartWay partners for nearly 20 years, growing with EPA's program. Both companies set ambitious yet realistic carbon reduction goals, annually report progress to SmartWay and to international carbon disclosure platforms and incentivize the truck carriers they hire to join SmartWay and reduce their own emissions. They employ advanced shipping/receiving strategies that reduce truck idling and driver waiting at their facilities. They have also revised their freight networks to take advantage of the efficiency of intermodal rail for long hauls and to reduce local delivery truck emissions. In addition, Ocean Spray and TJX have eliminated excess packaging for shipment and simultaneously increased the volume of product each truck can carry, eliminating excess truck trips.

Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting 162 million tons of CO2, 2.8 million tons of nitrogen oxides and 114,000 tons of particulate matter. Partners have also saved 379 million barrels of oil and over $52 billion in fuel costs - equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over 24 million homes. These efforts are particularly important for disadvantaged communities near ports, borders, and industrial areas, subjected to higher levels of pollution that contributes to smog.

Ocean Spray and TJX are among a diverse group of 2024 SmartWay Excellence Awardees, comprising of both first-time and multiple-year award recipients and broad geographic representation from eight of EPA's ten Regions and Canada.

The 2024 SmartWay Freight Partner Excellence Award recipients are:

Arrow Transportation
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations
Canadian Reefers Ltd.
Cargo Transporters
Covenant Transport
Crete Carrier Corporation
CRST The Transportation Solution Inc.
D&D Transportation Services Inc.
Danny Herman Trucking Inc.
Discount Tire
Divine Enterprises, Inc.
Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
Edgewell Personal Care
Elevate Textiles, Inc.
Forza Transportation Services, Inc.
Gap Inc. Canada
Gap Inc. USA
Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP
GP Transportation Co
Hirschbach Motor Lines
Hogan Transports, Inc.
Keane Thummel Trucking Inc.
Kellanova
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Knight Transportation, Inc.
Kohl's
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
May Trucking Company
McDonald's USA, LLC
Meijer
Mesilla Valley Transportation
Mike Frost Trucking, Inc.
Nussbaum Transportation Services, Inc.
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
Paper Transport, LLC
Prime, Inc.
Royal Trucking Company
Ryder Dedicated Transportation Solutions (DTS)
Saia Motor Freight Line, LLC
Schneider
Swift Transportation Co. of Arizona, LLC
The Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.
The TJX Companies, Inc.
Tractor Supply Company
Trans-West Logistics Inc. / Logistiques Trans-West Inc.
Werner Enterprises
Western Express, Inc.

Background

EPA's SmartWay Partnership helps companies benchmark freight performance and make informed decisions that drive sustainable supply chains. To achieve this, SmartWay establishes a common yardstick for comparing emissions performance; facilitates effective freight operational, mode and technology choices; provides a platform for Partners and Affiliates to share real-world experiences, innovations, and best practices; and helps companies make freight decisions that have a positive impact on efficiency and the environment.

For more information about the SmartWay Excellence Awards, visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway/smartway-excellence-awardees.

For more information about the SmartWay program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway.