Ruan was honored with a SmartWay||special174|| Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a true industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency. Ruan is a longstanding partner of SmartWay, a collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.
Ruan utilizes a variety of environmentally friendly strategies, including idle reduction and auxiliary power unit (APU) usage, low viscosity lubricants, reduced highway speeds, lightweight equipment, paperless technologies and processes and successful driver training designed with an emphasis on maintenance and fuel consumption. The company continually investigates new, sustainable fuel options like biodiesel and compressed natural gas (CNG). In fact, Ruan currently operates one of the largest CNG fleets in the country hauling dairy products in Indiana. The use of CNG at this operation will eliminate as many as 1.8 million gallons of diesel fuel each year.
"Ruan has a long tradition of seeking and implementing strategic fuel conservation measures, which not only controls costs, but helps protect the environment," said Ruan President and CEO Steve Chapman. "The SmartWay Excellence Award affirms our commitment to safe, efficient business practices that benefit our customers, team members and the global community."
Ruan was one of 40 companies, representing fewer than 1 percent of SmartWay's 3,000 partners, to receive this distinction. The awards for truck and multimodal carrier partners were announced at the American Trucking Association's Annual Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, NV, on October 9.
"EPA is pleased to recognize these SmartWay partners with a 2012 Excellence Award. I commend Ruan for its leadership in moving goods efficiently and reducing the environmental impact of freight through the second generation SmartWay Transport Partnership," said Chris Grundler, acting director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "Their commitment is helping lead the freight industry to a more sustainable future."
About SmartWay
The EPA launched SmartWay in 2004 to help business improve the sustainability of their freight supply chains. Today, the partnership consists of nearly 3,000 partners, representing a cross section of the freight supply chain industry. As of today, SmartWay partners have saved 55 million barrels of oil. This is equivalent to taking over 3 million cars off the road for an entire year. SmartWay's clean air achievements (23.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, 478,000 tons nitrogen oxides and 22,000 tons of particulate matter reduced so far) help protect the health and well-being of citizens while contributing to our nation's economic and energy security.