Over the past several years, consumers and clients alike have asked companies to prove their dedication to people and progress through various corporate responsibility initiatives. In the transportation and logistics industry, those initiatives often focus on reducing pollution and increasing sustainability. This spotlight on the environment isn’t shocking – moving goods across the globe can take a heavy toll on Mother Earth. The U.S. leads the world in carbon emissions, with transportation accounting for the majority of those emissions.
Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping via the traditional hub-and-spoke model is rife with inefficiencies, including multiple stops at energy-consuming terminals. While truckload offers more direct shipping routes, partially loaded trailers represent lower efficiency and wasted money. That is where shared truckload (STL) comes into play, offering companies the opportunity to utilize truckload service to deliver partial shipments – without leaving part of the trailer empty.
The STL approach allows one truck to deliver loads for multiple companies with pickup and drop-off along the same route – no terminal stops required. Not only does this ensure shippers are not paying for empty space and virtually eliminate the risk of shipment damage, it also proves beneficial for the environment.
Flock Freight was recently recognized as a Certified B Corporation for its commitment to green business practices via its shared truckload offering. The first B Corp in the freight space, Flock Freight joined the ranks of just a few thousand companies worldwide to earn this prestigious certification. B Corps are expected to “meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose,” according to the B Corp organization.
Flock Freight has demonstrated a consistent commitment to environmental sustainability. To date, the company has executed more than 12,000 shared shipments, saving over 36.4 million pounds of fuel emissions and simplifying the shipping process for countless companies.
The first company to guarantee shared truckload services to clients, Flock Freight has pledged to continue its positive impact by:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40%.
- Ensuring efficient transit via optimized shipping routes.
- Saving energy that would otherwise be used to trans-load freight.
- Erasing the environmental risks of remanufacturing and reshipping damaged goods.
Flock Freight’s shared truckload model racks up impressive fuel and emissions savings because shared truckload eliminates the need for 60% of the fuel used during a traditional LTL shipment, according to the company. On average, STL drivers travel a 20% longer route from start to finish than traditional truckload drivers, negating some of the gain from saved fuel. At the end of the day, however, emissions savings average out to about 40% over the popular hub-and-spoke model.
Corporate responsibility doesn’t stop at good environmental stewardship. While going hubless certainly brings a green jolt to an often wasteful industry, Flock Freight also practices corporate responsibility by valuing diversity within its carrier network, getting involved with philanthropic efforts in the community and prioritizing employee wellness.
Trends in the transportation and logistics industry often lag behind other industries, but players across the entire supply chain have an opportunity to take corporate responsibility to the next level and create a better future for their companies and their customers alike through a commitment to greener business practices and more inclusive environments.