Today’s Pickup: J.B. Hunt, Schneider lead SmartWay Excellence Award winners

More than 3,700 companies and organizations participate in SmartWay. The Excellence Awards have been handled out each year since 2006. Over the years, 118 companies have been recognized with multiple Excellence Awards, EPA said.

SmartWay is a voluntary, market-driven partnership that aims to reduce emissions and foster the development of a cleaner and more efficient freight supply chain. The SmartWay Excellence Award program recognizes leading shippers, logistics companies and freight carriers that are optimizing the environmental performance and efficiency of their freight operations, while serving as role models for other businesses to follow.

This year, 72 companies, including 13 shippers, were honored with a SmartWay Excellence Award, representing less than 2% of all SmartWay Partners.

The entire SmartWay Excellence Awards list can be viewed here: https://www.epa.gov/smartway/smartway-excellence-awardees#list.

Did you know?

According to Drewry Shipping Consultants, the switch to low-sulfur fuel to meet IMO 2020 requirements will add $11 billion to the fuel bill for container shipping lines.

Quotable:

“Everybody deserves a safe place to sleep, access to hygiene facilities and access to food. As long as I have a voice, I’m going to seek to impact change in this industry in a positive way for women and for men – for every driver.” 

– Kellylynn McLaughlin, driver and trainer for Schneider National, a finalist the 2019 Influential Woman in Trucking award, and the Women in Trucking Association’s first Ambassador

In other news:

U.K. tweaks no-Brexit tariffs

The U.K. has adjusted no-Brexit tariffs to lessen the impact, but trucking groups say it is not enough. (Bloomberg Quint)

GM strike hits non-GM workers

The toll the GM strike is taking on suppliers and trucking companies is mounting. (New York Times)

Rail executives remain upbeat

Despite sluggish economic growth, railway executives gathered for the NEARS conference remain upbeat about the economy moving forward. (Railway Age)

Group pushes slowing ship speeds

The Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group is applauding efforts by France and others to push for slower shipping speeds or less powerful ships. (Hellenic Shipping News)

Ontario pilot increases cargo efficiency

A pilot project by the government of Ontario, Canada, resulted in an increase in cargo efficiency through off-hours delivery. (National Observer)

Final Thoughts

The global automotive sector is undergoing a revolution as it begins to transition itself from fossil-fuel powered vehicles to a future where traditional fuels are just part of the equation. Bosch has invested in Nikola Motor, the hydrogen-electric truck maker, and now in a Chinese startup called Trunk, which is developing an autonomous truck for handling container movements. Continental, a global powerhouse best known for its tires but with a large automotive and technology focus, is shifting resources over the next 10 years as it attempts to realign itself for a mobility-based future. Of course, the major automakers are doing the same, with some investing heavily in electric vehicles today. The global shift is underway.

Hammer down everyone!