Convoy recently announced its renewed strategic partnership with SmartWay, a qualifying sustainability program run by the Environmental Protection Agency. SmartWay sets standards for all modes of North American transportation businesses seeking to differentiate themselves and look for sustainable partners. It boasts 3,000 partners, including shippers, carriers and logistics companies, and in its nearly 20 years of operation, SmartWay has saved 336 million barrels of oil, $44.8 billion in fuel costs and 143 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
“Convoy started with the focus on eliminating waste, empty miles and sustainability, so this is a very clear strategic partnership for them,” said Tyler Cole, director of carbon intelligence at FreightWaves. “SmartWay is the leading methodology tool or performance indicator for North American freight. It’s smart for Convoy to be a part of it and to be lifted up. It’s also affirming that the role of brokers and freight forwarders is to help aggregate and collect data because as we all know, we’re moving into a world where transparency is key.”
The more carriers that join Convoy’s network, the more hard-to-get data, such as Scope 3 emissions figures, Convoy will aggregate and strategically report. Cole explained that partnering with SmartWay means committing to data collecting and reporting in a way that aligns with EPA methodology. SmartWay adds North American transportation data to larger agencies, like the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC), to stitch together a truly global view of transportation emissions.
“The SmartWay certification is not a pass and fail binary,” said Cole. “It’s definitely got gradients, depending on how your emissions are and how they improve. SmartWay calls out good actors and offers awards at the end of each year. For carriers, it’s valuable because your customers want you to be a part of it. They all want to put that logo on the trailer and tout being green, but it’s also a good self-check because it helps them actually look at their year-over-year data.”
While many supply chain companies are still hesitant about measuring emissions data and fuel usage, programs like SmartWay encourage company participation, no matter the size or past commitment to sustainability.
“Convoy is in a great position to onboard more carriers, especially those smaller fleets with minority and diverse ownership,” said Cole. “The more carriers they get on board, the more likely SmartWay sees an increase in their partners, because there’s a lot of people not reporting today.”
