Sustainability and Driving Toward a Cleaner Future

Ruan is always determined to make our trucks run more effectively and efficiently. We must drive toward a cleaner future. Ruan believes environmental stewardship and community service are more than good business decisions; they are moral imperatives.  

We continually strive to design supply chain solutions for our customers that emphasize and take advantage of environmental efficiencies. Fuel efficiency saves on transportation costs. Energy conservation reduces utility costs. Lightweight materials increase efficiency. We are proud to pass these savings onto our customers. 

Alternative Fuels

Ruan continually explores new opportunities to implement sustainable practices into our business. This includes our focus on utilizing cleaner fuel options, including compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), biodiesel blends (primarily B20) and renewable hydrocarbon diesel. Since starting our CNG program in 2011, we have operated more than 160 CNG trucks that have logged well over 100 million miles on natural gas power, including 80 million miles on renewable natural gas derived from cattle manure. The renewable natural gas has resulted in GHG reductions of over 70,000 metric tons and millions of pounds of CO₂ emissions reductions. Ruan has recently retrofitted 10 CNG tractors with new ultra-low NOx engines for operation in California, running on renewable natural gas.

Ruan has purchased well over 150 million gallons of biodiesel blends since 2014, resulting in CO₂ emissions reductions in excess of 350,000 metric tons. Ruan purchases approximately 1 million gallons of renewable diesel annually.

Overall, Ruan has made great strides in improving our MPG percentage, with an 11 percent increase over the last three years.

Engine Technology and Design

Ruan continually works with engine manufacturers to develop longer-lasting, lower-emitting engines with improved performance and lower fuel consumption. The base tractor specification we use matches the EPA's recommended tractor for best fuel consumption. Our entire fleet is made up of lightweight trucks and trailers with green specifications, including electric auxiliary power units that reduce engine idle time, efficient progressive shifting, auto-inflation trailer tire systems, and onboard recorders that monitor MPG, over-RPM, idle time, hard braking, and any over-speed driving.

Ruan is also committed to investing in equipment that utilizes the latest technologies. Our first zero-emission, 100 percent battery-powered electric tractors deployed in operations in Minnesota and Indiana, and we reserved several Tesla electric trucks to add to our fleet in the coming months.

SmartWay

Ruan has been named a SmartWay High Performer in the truck carriers category by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SmartWay High Performer designation is given to shippers, carriers, and logistics providers who lead the way on clean freight. High Performers are determined based on freight activity, fuel use, and more information that SmartWay partners, such as Ruan, voluntarily share with the EPA. Those recognized as SmartWay High Performers have efficiency and air quality performance that outranks other participants. Just over 2 percent of all SmartWay carriers operate fleets clean and efficient enough to be named to the SmartWay High Performers list. 

Ruan has been a SmartWay member since 2014 and has been honored with the SmartWay Excellence Award numerous times. To achieve such measures, Ruan has invested in technologies to help reduce fuel use and emissions, properly dispose of and recycle materials, and reduce paper usage across all operations. We design supply chain solutions that emphasize fuel efficiency, energy conservation, and using renewable energy.

In addition, Ruan is one of only three for-hire transportation companies selected for the National Clean Fleets Partnership (NCFP) membership and participates in their Clean Cities annual study. The NCFP assists fleets across the country implement strategies to advance alternative fuels and energy-efficient vehicle technologies. 

Paperless Technology

Ruan has made a concerted effort to develop and implement paperless technologies. Technologies such as our proprietary RedTrak system, electronic logging devices, our intranet, and Track & Trace have helped reduce our reliance on paper and increase our company-wide efficiency and productivity.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycling Initiatives

Ruan facilities and the Des Moines Campus place a high priority on the reduction, reuse, and recycling of all materials. Through policy changes and the use of various technologies, Ruan has experienced a 99 percent reduction in the use of paper to communicate among the field and Des Moines Campus.