The tail pipes and smoke stacks of the giants on the US roads are causing death and disease for far too many people. While this may sound like ‘green hyperbole’, the facts reflect the reality. Truck pollution in US accounts for about 50% of the soot pollution and 1/4^th of the smog-causing pollution on the US highways. Clocking just 6% of the total highway miles driven, the trucks and trailers contribute the same percentage to America’s global warming pollution. Truck pollution in US is leaving a huge carbon footprint on the face of the Earth, and is something that needs to be addressed today if we are to build a sustainable future for our children.

At a conservative estimate, the nitrogen oxide and fine particulates released by a trailer truck equals that of 150 passenger cars. Despite the stringently applied US Pollution prevention laws, which limits car emissions, trucks and larger vehicles have been given a slacker rein. Since the 1970s, trucks and trailers have been releasing about five times more emissions per mile than other vehicles. In addition, they  consume around 10% of the nation’s total oil consumption, adding significantly reducing to the US carbon footprint.

The next generation of trucks that we may see on our roads in the coming years will need to abide by the more stringent directives that have been introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . One way to address truck pollution in US would be to introduce vehicles that follow the EPA’s Heavy-Duty Highway Diesel Rules which makes it mandatory to emit 90% fewer particulates and 75-90% less nitrogen oxide than former models. This idea will take time to bear fruit because many of the trucks on the road today are models that were built earlier than 2007 and are thus free from following the new rules.

 The US federal government has also issued mandates that regulate the sulfur content of diesel fuels and have put the new limit of sulfur in diesel at 97% less than before. It is the most significant step towards ensuring that all diesel vehicles irrespective of their make and the year of assembly will now emit less obnoxious fumes.

The official anticipation is that more fuel efficient trucks along with greener fuel will, in due course of time, bring down the release of pollutants from trucks to the level of passenger cars and light trucks. Biodiesel, produced from renewable plant crops, is slowly but surely gaining in popularity and promises to cut down on the emissions significantly. Hybrid diesel-electric trucks are gradually gaining recognition among sustainable shipping circles. These emission and fuel saving technologies are sure to make a dent in the pollution index of America. Sustainable shipping is gaining ground like never before

Until these measures are strictly adopted, Peer to Peer shipping provides the perfect answer to the problems of truck pollution in US. In an effort to combat massive inefficiencies in the trucking industry, for example, the large fraction (around 30%) of trucks that return empty after delivering their loadCitizenShipper has devised a method were smaller companies can avoid having to book expensive trucks for their deliveries. Peer to Peer shipping is a win-win situation for all involved – the drivers earn some extra money driving somewhere they had planned to drive anyway, without diverting from their original routes. And the customer gets a discounted price and a good delivery time frame. Most importantly, the fuel saved through Peer to Peer shipping also reduces the carbon footprint of the entities involved.

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To become a part of the P2P shipping revolution, visit CitizenShipper.com.

You can also learn more about cheap and reliable shipping by visiting the CitizenShipper Budget Shipping Blog. 

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Trucks, Pollution and Cleaning up our Roads

Responsible Shipping – Saving Our Planet One Shipment at a Time

Shipping and the Environment

Trucks, Carbon Footprints and Cleaning up our Act

Consumers all over the world are getting increasingly serious about “going green” – what are you, as a manufacturer, retailer, service provider or consumer doing to target the vast market out there? Are you in a position to offer them a chance to opt for green shipping methods? Are you, yourself, aware of the possibilities of sustainable shipping available? Eco-friendly shipping isn’t just a marketing tool to attract customers.

Nowadays earth friendly shipping means much more – it means:

1)      Reduction of shipping inefficiency through logistical and operational streamlining

2)      Optimization of fuel efficiency per trip per transport

3)      Choice of reduced carbon footprint generating delivery options

4)      Use of  reduced carbon footprint inducing transport for shipment

5)      Use of alternative fuels and energy sources for transport

6)      Use of fuel-efficient driving best practices etc.

So while choosing a shipping partner for your business or ordering anything online or even mailing personally; if you feel concerned about doing your bit towards a greener, healthier environment; you can check for that companies policies and practices with the above checklist.

The shipping companies are leaving no stone unturned in converting to green shipping methods in a bid to providing their customers with the most environmentally friendly shipping options available. Not only are they reducing their own carbon footprint by adopting paperless offices and green practices but are actually increasing the periphery of their earth friendly attitude by offering shipping options which use renewable energies as fuel. They are also adopting newer, cheaper, lighter vehicles with greater payloads and also utilizing greater optimization of load distribution, trip planning etc. Lesser times spent at ports and decongested docks and roads are other pluses that consolidation programs offered by some of the shipping companies allows – permitting business houses to ship full truckloads on single trucks, avoiding the need of multiple trucks; especially if the deliveries lie in the same direction or region. All these methods are being incorporated as a beacon to the customer to show how committed the company is to green shipping methods.

But that is not all, more and more environmentally friendly shipping houses are opting for the use of biodiesel and ultra low sulfur diesel, initiatives that deserve the highest encouragement because it reflects their commitment to sustainable shipping. Some of the largest green method shipping companies are also reaching for consignment trucks running on compressed natural gas. Fuel-efficient driving methods are being implemented by the environmentally friendly shipping companies to remove shipping inefficiencies, thus saving tens of metric tons in annual emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and thousands of dollars. Making vehicles run at an optimum speed boosts fuel efficiency and companies are taking steps to ensure that their drivers stay well within their prescribed limits by drawing the drivers into the program by training them and providing incentives. Electronic engine controls are also being used to eradicate shipping inefficiencies. Other methods like stopping prolonged truck idling, using auxiliary power units (APU) and truck stop electrification and automatic tire inflation systems in a combination truck are also being used by sustainable shipping companies to bring down fuel burning, in the process reducing greenhouse gas emissions that damage our atmosphere.

One of the best green shipping methods is the Peer to Peer shipping method as it provides the best solutions for all the agents involved. The customers are passed on the discounts that the green shipping company saves by not having to book shipping space on larger shipping companies, while the drivers get to earn a few easy dollars making a delivery while going on their own way anyway.

So you can now enjoy green shipping methods offered by online companies to ensure that you’ve done your bit towards creating a more sustainable planet.

Green Shipping

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To list your item using P2P greener shipping, visit us at CitizenShipper.com.

You can also learn more about us by readint the CitizenShipper Green Shipping Blog. 

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Empty Trucks and Waste

Shipping and the Environment

Shipping the Green Way

Pollution from Trucking in the United States

Today, many of us show genuine concern for the environment in which we live, and hold a strong desire to ensure that future generations are not left with the monumental task of clearing up after our environmentally irresponsibility. Each of us has the capability to contribute to a greener way of living, and one of the ways to help with the maturing ‘green movement’, and to help preserve the Earth for future generations is to utilize  “environmentally friendly shipping” for all your shipping needs. It is one of the clear calls of the environmentalists, that one of the biggest polluters and users of non-renewable resources on the globe are the shipping companies and their regular users, who all must work towards eradicating shipping inefficiencies. Environmentalists urge us to change to sustainable shipping practices. Looking for a “green” option in shipping is thus now a major concern for all corporations interested in reducing their carbon footprint on the face of our planet.

Environmentally friendly shipping can encompass two distinct parts of a shipping operation. One is packaging, the other is transportation of that package. While the packaging industry has been constantly under the pressure of environmental groups for developing “green” packaging materials and processes, the shipping companies have had their own knocks of “eco-friendly” assays. They have been put under the scanner for optimizing their use of space, time and fuel etc. per transportation trip. 

The most important part of green shipping practices is the eco-friendly packaging of shipped materials. The best part of using green technology in both wrapping and packing is, it not only that it helps us to consume less of the non renewable resources, but that they actually help us re-use the material that has already been created, thus keeping disposal channels clear. A quick check on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website demonstrates that, in 2007, containers for food products and other plastic packaging made up 30.9% of municipal waste of which about 1/3^rd was recycled. The worst offenders among non-biodegradable packaging materials are:

1. Bubble wraps – these are much required as preferred materials for packing fragile objects. However alternatives to it have already been created such as bubble wraps made from recycled polyethylene. The biodegradable alternative to these are crimped paper or cardboard.
2. Packing tape – is made from polyethylene and a must for packaging any product for shipment. Currently, however, natural rubber packing tapes are available as the biodegradable alternatives.
3. Package filters like Styrofoam based packing peanuts – biodegradable alternatives for them are cornstarch peanuts and/or plain air-popped popcorn.

 Corporations, across all channels of business, are currently interested in reducing their carbon footprint. The shipping industry is no exception to this rule. They too are thinking of doing their bit for the survival of this “Ark” called Earth by diminishing shipping inefficiencies. Not only are they streamlining and optimizing their operations, but are actually funding research to develop newer techniques and technologies to create better possibilities for tomorrow. Denmark, one of the leading maritime countries in the world, is already seeing its top shipping companies “going green” with environmentally friendly shipping practices. Sustainable shipping seems to be the only way forward. Newer, more renewable energy sources have to be located and tapped while greater optimization of load distribution and logistical operation will ensure that more economic, eco friendly, and sustainable shipping options are available to the consumer.

Peer to Peer shipping is another approach that provides solution for logistical issues by creating a win-win situation for customers, drivers and shipping companies. The drivers get to earn some easy bucks for delivering goods while driving routes that they planned to drive anway, the companies can refrain from hiring expensive shipping space with the discounts being passed on to the customers. Peer to peer shipping is also an excellent way of supporting environmentally friendly shipping by reducing the requirement for expensive carbon fossil fuels. It also provides for a good delivery time frame. However it is necessary to ensure that the Peer to Peer shipping company has full details of the drivers and can provide their photos and phone numbers on demand.

Environmentally friendly shipping companies are thus increasing the stakes to do what they can to provide for sustainable future on the planet.

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To list your shipment on our P2P Green Shipping network, visit CitizenShipper.com.

You can also learn more about cheap, reliable and green shipping by visiting the CitizenShipper Budget Shipping Blog. 

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Are There Too Many Empty Trucks on US Roads?

Shipping the Environmentally Friendly Way

Green Shipping

Pollution from Trucks in the US

Sustainable shipping companies are doing roaring business. Shipments of every kind of objects are being sent to and fro through the entire length and breadth of America. But the profits for these environmentally friendly shipping companies are apparently not showing up as they should. A survey has answered “why?” – It seems that the number of empty trucks on US roads is the elusive answer. Although the eco-friendly companies are doing a splendid job on selling space on their trucks and trailers, the sale is almost always for a one-way movement of the truck. On the return journey the empty truck is not only causing a loss to the company which owns it, but its immense fuel consumption leaves a huge carbon footprint and adds to the environmental pollution perils.

As is quite obvious, such shipping inefficiencies cost a tidy packet. So, the environmentally friendly shipping companies are brainstorming new ways to tackle the issue of these empty trucks on their return journeys. One effective way has been to use Peer to Peer shipping where senders are matched up with those planning to make a trip in the same direction for carriage of the shipment. Peer to Peer shipping creates a win-win condition for all who are involved – the drivers make a few easy dollars, the customer gets a discounted price as well as a good delivery time frame, and the environmentally friendly shipping website also makes its profits. Peer to Peer shipping however entails one problem that the shipped products are sometimes not insured.

Empty trucks are also directly filled up by larger sustainable shipping corporations at discounted rates. When contacted by customers at the destination point of another delivery, the environmentally friendly shipping companies often sell their spaces quite cheap. However, the problem again lies in the shipment being uninsured.

Once shipments are sent off from one end, the environmentally friendly shipping firms publish the date that the truck becomes vacant at its destination in a bid to reduce their shipping inefficiencies and attract customers who need to ship something on those exact days. Their are finding quite a few takers among those who are fully committed to reducing their carbon footprint on earth.

Proper load distribution, and filling each empty truck to its full capacity, also makes for a smaller number of trucks required to make an equal number of deliveries. However, a large number of shipping companies, leave the load on the trucks at less than full truck loads. Such practices not only destroy potential profit for them but also generate an increase in the carbon footprint left by that company.

Currently, of course, eco-consciousness has grown globally. This has caused customers to, increasingly, demand environmentally friendly shipping operations and practices from the shipping houses. The shipping corporations themselves are trying to incorporate sustainable shipping patterns, as it also influences their bottom-line in terms of more profits and greater number of customers. So the problem of empty trucks on US roads is being slowly solved by them through as many innovative ways as possible.

CitizenShipper.com hopes to address all these problems by providing an auction style marketplace where shippers can visit the site, and attempt to locate these empty trucks. By filling these empty trucks with shipments, less fuel is wasted and we slowly become a more environmentally friendly nation.

Full Truck Hauling Cars

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To take part in environmentally conscious shipping, visit us now.

You can also learn more about cheap, reliable and green shipping by visiting the CitizenShipper Budget Shipping Blog. 

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Useful Links:

Environmentally Responsible Shipping

Green Shipping Methods

Truck Pollution in the US