Sustainability in Logistics / Green Freight

Sustainability in logistics – often called green freight – means making transportation decisions that account for environmental impact alongside cost and service. For shippers, this primarily involves reducing carbon emissions from freight movement through smarter load planning, modal shifts from truck to rail or intermodal where feasible, carrier selection based on fleet efficiency, and measurement of the carbon footprint across the transportation network.

The practical levers are straightforward. Load optimization reduces emissions by putting more freight on fewer trucks – a trailer running at 95% capacity instead of 65% moves the same goods with roughly a third fewer vehicle miles. Order consolidation has the same effect, combining multiple smaller shipments into full truckloads. Mode shifting from over-the-road trucking to intermodal rail cuts emissions per ton-mile significantly, though it trades speed for efficiency. And carrier selection matters – carriers with newer, cleaner fleets, idle-reduction technology, and efficient routing produce fewer emissions per load.

Measurement is where most shippers get stuck. Calculating the carbon footprint of a shipment requires knowing the mode, distance, fuel type, load factor, and sometimes the specific equipment used. Doing this manually across hundreds of weekly shipments is impractical. Without measurement, sustainability targets remain aspirational rather than operational – you can't improve what you can't track.

The business pressure is real and growing. Retailers, CPG customers, and investors increasingly require Scope 3 emissions reporting – and transportation is typically the largest component of a shipper's Scope 3 footprint. Shippers who can provide accurate carbon data per shipment gain a tangible advantage in customer negotiations, sustainability reports, and ESG disclosures.