EcoPedia

What is Smartway?

Michael Forlini | Nov 2, 2009

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In 2004, EPA launched SmartWaySM — an innovative brand that represents environmentally cleaner, more fuel efficient transportation options. Having personally worked in the U.S. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality and on the development of this program, I realized the importance of the brand. The brand represented "the smart way to save fuel, money and the environment." Basically, the program promotes the concept of green travel through a partnership alliance with government and industry.

This partnership extends not only to consumer vehicles (see EPA's Green Vehicle Guide), but also to the trucking and freight industry. The program was designed to promoting smart transportation choices for individuals and companies through a voluntary initiative. Autos and trucks are a major source of emissions that contribute to global warming.

How does a car achieve the SmartWay certification?

The Green Vehicle Guide provides an Air Pollution Score and a Greenhouse Gas Score for each auto evaluated in the database. The higher the score the better for the environment, the system uses a scale of 1-10. When a vehicle receives a 6 or better on both scores, and achieve a total score of at least 13, the auto is SmartWay certified. Vehicles that receive the SmartWay designation are very good environmental performers relative to other vehicles. SmartWay Elite is given to those vehicles that score 9 or better on both scores. The SmartWay Elite designation is given to the best environmental performers. Only cars that have earned the SmartWay and Smartway Elite designation are listed in EcoPlum's Cars and Transportation section, where consumers can find local dealers and rental companies that carry these vehicles.

What is the SmartWay Transport Program?

The SmartWay Transport Partnership focuses on companies that provide or hire freight delivery and logistics services. These companies can become SmartWay Transport partners by committing to improve the environmental performance of their freight delivery operations. A SmartWay Transport partner company is committed to calculate their environmental performance and set improvement goals and achieve cost savings . When a company achieves these goals, they receive industry and public recognition. SmartWay Transport Partners and Affiliates include: shippers, private fleets, truck carriers, rail carriers, and logistics companies. Logistics partners assist carriers in making better choices for their businesses and the environment.

On October 6, 2009, EPA SmartWay Transport announced 37 winners of the 2009 SmartWay Excellence Awards. These awards recognize freight industry leaders that have made significant contributions to protecting the environment through their participation in the Partnership. Among the winning companies were Stonyfield Farms, the Home Depot, PepsiCo, and UPS.

Additional SmartWay initiatives include:

SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program supports the development of new financing programs for trucks, school buses and nonroad vehicles/equipment.

SmartWay Grow & Go is a program developed by the EPA to promote the environmental benefits of renewable fuels, and provide a renewable fuel component for EPA's existing SmartWay Transport Partnership.

Transporters can submit a loan application for truck , trailer, & equipment loans at the SmartWay Finance Center website. This website allows the submittal of one simple, free application which is distributed to participating lenders for lending consideration. Multiple lenders will review an application, and they may send an offer for a loan or lease. The applicant can decide which offer, if any, best meets their needs.

EPA's SmartWay "Smell the Flowers" campaign offers smart driving tips that could give you more miles per gallon of gas and reduce air pollution. The tips provide simple suggestions that will help you save money at the fuel pump and help to produce fewer tailpipe emissions.

For more information on Smart way, visit: http://www.epa.gov/SmartwayLogistics/basic-information/index.htm