BURLINGTON, N.J. – With a strong focus on service and efficiency advancements through the years, McCollister’s Transportation Systems, an agent for United Van Lines, has maintained a prominent position in a highly competitive moving and logistics industry. Continuing to challenge itself, McCollister’s is now “going green” by joining the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership.
A green product or service is one that delivers comparable or superior performance, utility or benefit while consuming fewer resources, containing/producing fewer toxic materials and/or boasting a longer life cycle.
SmartWay is a voluntary partnership between ground freight transportation operations and the EPA that establishes goals and incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. With an initial goal for certain standards to be achieved by 2012, the twofold result will be a significant improvement in air quality and an annual savings of nearly 150 million barrels of oil nationwide. The two primary objectives of the program that most affect the trucking industry are creating partnerships and reducing unnecessary engine idling.
Partnerships can be formed between the transportation companies and those customers that ship products. Once joined, the partners measure the efficiency of their freight operations with a further commitment to improvement. The EPA provides tools that quantify the benefits of fuel-saving strategies. Some of those strategies were quickly employed by McCollister’s upon joining SmartWaySM in late 2006.
“We reduced our maximum road speed from 75 mph to 65 mph on our tractors and down to 62 mph on our straight trucks,” said to Ron Weldon, director of safety and fleet management at McCollister’s. “We’ve even added aerodynamic bumpers, mirrors and fairings (fuel tank covers, air shields, etc.) to much of our fleet and run our trucks on low roll-resistant tires which are more fuel efficient because they’re made of a different rubber compound.”
Unnecessary engine idling is a SmartWaySM improvement opportunity because it contributes to bad air quality, needless fuel consumption and higher operating costs. Additional idle-reduction efforts are well underway at McCollister’s as auxiliary power units (APUs) have been added to most of its fleet. APUs help eliminate unnecessary idling by providing power to tractors for heat, air conditioning, etc. without the need to run their engines.
Trucks without APUs have been equipped with idle-shutdown units. These units turn off the engine after a predetermined amount of time. “Our idle-shutdown units are set at seven minutes,” said Weldon. “That’s the typical amount of time it takes for a driver to do a post-trip inspection on his truck.”
Although many of these improvements come with additional expense, the long-term benefits are clear both from cost and environmental perspectives. It is this type of commitment to change that exemplifies the SmartWaySM objective and helps partners score through higher rankings. McCollister’s started out as a Level Two partner and has since attained Level One status.
“Level One partners are recognized as superior environmental performers,” said Joanne Jackson-Stephens, marketing and advertising representative for SmartWaySM. “Aside from the direct benefits, attaining this level allows them to use the SmartWaySM logo and decals on their marketing materials and trucks.”
While many steps have been taken by McCollister’s as an organization, some owner-qperators are “going green” by choice, using biofuel in their tractors. Biofuel is manufactured from organic plants and plant-derived materials which, when used, produce less gas emissions.
Aside from fleet operations-related improvement efforts, McCollister’s has also launched a drive to significantly reduce paper consumption. In 2006, a document imaging program was initiated to provide more timely information and reduce the amount of paper copies moving between its business units. When paper products are necessary, McCollister’s uses recycled goods such as cardboard, packing paper and office paper supplies wherever possible.
Oil, antifreeze, batteries and tires are recycled through rigorous maintenance programs designed to optimize truck efficiency in a responsible manner. Cardboard boxes, paper, wooden pallets, aluminum cans are recycled; energy conservation is practiced through the use of motion light switches and higher temperature tolerances on office thermostats. A “Going Green” Committee steers continuing efforts to implement new ways McCollister’s can become even more environmentally conscientious and further reduce its carbon footprint.
According to President and Owner H. Daniel McCollister, “As a business we will remain sensitive to our environment so that we can make a difference in the communities we serve and all breathe easier.”
About McCollister’s Transportation Systems
Founded in 1945, McCollister’s Transportation Systems is a leading supplier of logistics and home relocation services worldwide. The company offers a wide range of scalable and flexible services designed to meet with precision exacting transportation assignments throughout the global supply chain. More information about McCollister’s can be found at www.mccollisters.com.
About United Van Lines
United Van Lines, with headquarters in suburban St. Louis, is one of the nation’s largest household goods mover and maintains a network of 1,000 affiliated agencies in 135 countries. More information about United and its services can be obtained through the company’s Web site at www.unitedvanlines.com.
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