NFI Fuel Efficiency ‘Czar’ Spearheads Sustainability Initiatives
CHERRY HILL, N.J.--With fuel prices remaining unpredictable in this uncertain economy, New Jersey-based NFI, a national leader in the transportation and logistics industry, has created a senior management position specifically tasked with guiding the company to improve fuel efficiency while reducing emissions.
“This program will not only conserve fuel but it will also help to lower greenhouse gas emissions which is one of our goals as an EPA SmartWay Transport Partner.”
Guiding its long-standing “sustainability conscience,” Robert H. Barron, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at NFI, leads NFI’s ‘Sustainability Team,’ an interdepartmental group that brainstorms ways the company can maintain NFI’s place at the forefront of eco-friendly trucking, distribution and logistics. Barron is responsible for the creation, development and execution of strategies aimed at improving the company’s overall miles per gallon results through employee and driver work habits, technology, corporate policy decisions and other innovations.
Internally dubbed the “Fuel Efficiency Czar”, Barron believes NFI has moved to the forefront of fuel efficient third party logistics providers by focusing the entire company on sustainability initiatives. NFI’s sustainability initiatives span the company’s many departments, including Intermodal, Distribution, Real Estate, Packaging and Solar, in addition to Logistics and Transportation. Since Barron began leading the Sustainability Team, NFI has improved its Year-over-Year (YOY) miles per gallon by over 3.5%, and expects to build significantly on that success in 2010.
According to Barron, the Sustainability Team at NFI defies the stereotype of a logistics and transportation company and focuses on minimizing the company’s carbon footprint. He and his colleagues have adopted an interdisciplinary approach towards researching, testing and implementing ideas and techniques aimed at balancing reductions in emissions and fuel consumption with cost management, as well as employees and customer satisfaction.
“It is in the best interests of our customers, our employees and our neighbors when NFI utilizes new sustainability methods to deliver, package, store and distribute goods,” said Barron. “Of course we want to keep our costs down when fuel prices rise, but even when prices fall, we continue to aggressively focus on fuel efficiency. We strive to be as efficient as we can be, because we’re preparing for the future, not just for profit.”
NFI has explored and implemented a variety of methods that have improved the company’s overall sustainability results. These include reductions in truck idling time, lowering speed limits, reducing horsepower, installing battery-powered auxiliary power units, improved truck aerodynamics, weight reductions through truck and trailer design, and identifying and correcting improper driving habits to name a few.
NFI’s sustainability initiatives have encouraged Barron and the Sustainability Team to focus on every aspect of the company’s operations in an effort to save fuel and reduce emissions. For example, said Barron, “industry thought processes always used to indicate that bigger was better: bigger trucks, bigger engines,and longer distances. Now we are trending towards different truck designs which are more fuel efficient; they travel shorter distances to more localized distribution points, cutting down on emissions and fuel.”
Driver education and behavior programs such as NFI’s Maximize Miles campaign are another example of involving each employee in the company’s green initiatives. The Sustainability Team created the Maximize Miles program using letters, posters, driver-manager messages, newsletters and stickers placed on tractor dashboards to communicate the importance of four simple steps to maximize miles:
- Shifting gears at the right RPM for maximum power and efficiency
- Starting trucks in the most fuel-efficient gear
- Eliminating unnecessary idling
- Checking tire pressure before every trip
Barron said, “This program will not only conserve fuel but it will also help to lower greenhouse gas emissions which is one of our goals as an EPA SmartWay Transport Partner.”
“By appointing a company ‘Fuel Efficiency Czar,’ NFI stays ahead of industry trends. One of our primary company values is social responsibility, which we take very seriously. Because we own a large fleet of trucks, we know that every positive step we take impacts the environment and we are committed to reducing greenhouses gasses,” said Sid Brown, Chief Executive Officer of NFI.
About NFI: NFI offers a variety of services to help businesses manage, grow and succeed in today’s logistics marketplace. It is a fully-integrated supply chain solutions provider, offering logistics, distribution, transportation, intermodal, real estate, packaging, global and solar services across the U.S. Headquartered in New Jersey, the company owns over 10,000 tractors & trailers encompassing Over-the-Road (OTR) and dedicated fleets. Privately held by the Brown family since its inception in 1932, NFI operates over 18 million square feet of contract and public warehouse space. NFI is a partner in the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program, which is dedicated to increasing energy efficiency and reducing the impact of the freight industry upon the environment. NFI is a one-stop resource for integrated supply chain solutions. For more information visit: www.NFIindustries.com.