After setting an initial goal of achieving a score of 0.95 within three years of joining the SmartWay Transport Partnership in June 2008, Continental Tire North America wasted no time in greening its tire-shipment practices .
In just its first year as a SmartWay partner, Continental achieved an EPA-verified score of 1.14 out of a maximum of 1.25 under the Freight Logistics Environmental and Energy Tracking Performance Model for Shippers classification-- well above the 0.5 required in a company’s first year of compliance.
“Exceeding our compliance goal with the SmartWay Transport Partnership means that Continental is doing its part to reduce air pollution and the environmental impacts from our supply chain operations,” said Dominique Lacroix, director of supply chain operations.
“We made it a consideration of the carrier selection process that fleets operate as SmartWay Transport Carriers when considering bids, and encouraged carriers within our existing base who were not already a part of the SmartWay program to join,” he continued. “In doing so, we have achieved our goal to have the majority of our tire products shipped within these environmentally sensitive guidelines.”
SmartWay participating companies have pledged to combine to save between 3.3 and 6.6 billion gal. of diesel fuel per year by 2012 by embracing idling reduction, improved vehicle aerodynamics and other fuel-efficient practices.
