![What Is SmartWay Certified? [And Should You Use A Carrier With Certification?]](https://www.thebrimichgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/What-Is-SmartWay-Certified.jpg)
Is there a benefit to partnering with a carrier that’s SmartWay certified?
SmartWay Certification Defined:
“The SmartWay Transportation Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages best practices in freight supply chains.”
SmartWay helps partners to:
- benchmark their operations
- track fuel consumption and improve overall performance
- attract business and differentiate their operations from competitors
Considering the forward-thinking demand for businesses to move towards clean and green, SmartWay offers an onramp for logistics providers, and their partners, the benefit from staying on the leading edge.
By joining SmartWay, logistics providers and carriers show suppliers, customers and investors that their sustainability goals include a commitment to clean freight.
At its core, the SmartWay Certified Carriers program provides companies with tools to improve best practices by measuring, benchmarking, and improving freight transportation efficiency.
SmartWay has been a leader in developing systems to better collect data on fossil fuel emissions and fuel usage. Factors that lead to correctly identifying the shortcomings of carriers, shippers, and logistics service providers in their mission for freight sustainability.
Since its inception by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2004, an estimated $37.5 billion in US fuel cost has been saved by implementing the program.
Three Basic Elements of SmartWay
The SmartWay Transport Partnership
The partnership is the mechanism that provides a way for shippers, carriers and logistics service providers to measure and improve their logistics operations – the main goal being the reduction of their carbon footprint through access tools, data and standards.
The SmartWay Brand
SmartWay has patented technology for branding and verification that carriers can use to accelerate the adoption of fuel-saving technologies and improved operational practices.
The technology helps with achieving a more sustainable supply chain, and also improves the freight industry’s public-facing image.
SmartWay Global Collaboration
The EPA partners with organizations to promote green initiatives in the freight and logistics industry.
SmartWay also influences policy-making decisions to that improve regulations and programs, both domestically and internationally, designed to help the environment.
The SmartWay group of companies and collaborations help drive change through advocacy in governments, industry associations and different environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
In many cases, large and small shippers are taking the initiative by making it mandatory for motor carriers and logistics service companies to be SmartWay Certified in order to be eligible to bid on their RFP.
What’s Involved With SmartWay Certification?
The SmartWay Transport Partnership has been administered in Canada by Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) since 2012.
The process for becoming SmartWay certified is time intensive and thorough. This certification requires transporters and logistics providers to have in-depth knowledge of their carriers, and to be fully capable of answering a variety of critical questions about their operations.
It’s necessary to verify important information such as service levels offered, how much weight is provided, and how many miles a carrier drives annually.
This high level of due diligence allows a carrier to assure clients that they are providing them with the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.
Being SmartWay Certified Also Benefits Partner Companies
In a world where global warming and sustainability is front-of-mind for many people, it’s important that logistics companies take the necessary steps to reduce their carbon footprint and overall environmental impact.
Many large businesses have sustainability quotas they’re trying to reach, and smaller companies are increasingly asking for more to be done in this area as well.
As an agent of change, SmartWay certification allows its partners to provide reliable and credible government backed data to help clients meet these challenges.
The SmartWays certification program in Canada also serves to help the Canadian government report the effects of environmental impact to other countries as part of an international initiative to stop climate change.
Regardless of the size of the business, SmartWay certification is an excellent value-add for customers.
As the Government of Canada continues to make significant strides in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, companies are being incentivized with tax benefits.
In the near future, companies could be able to report emission reductions and use their positive factual data as tradable currency with other companies.
For any business willing to, or continuing to do their part in helping the environment, this is a great feature for all parties.
When Being SmartWay Certified Means The Environment Wins, We All Win
In the next few short years, the need to be environmentally smart is not just an imperative for larger companies, but for all companies of all sizes on both sides of the equation.
At Brimich, we are a committed SmartWays partner doing our part for the benefit of the environment, and for our clients.
