News Releases from Region 04

EPA SmartWay Honors Nashville-based Western Express, Inc. for Superior Supply Chain Efficiency

(10/19/2015 -- ATLANTA) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring Nashville, Tennessee-based Western Express, Inc., with its annual SmartWay Excellence Awards as an industry leader in supply chain environmental and energy efficiency. Western Express is one of forty awardees who are environmentally responsible carriers that move more goods more miles with lower emissions and less energy. Awardees demonstrate how businesses in their industries can save on fuel costs, shrink their carbon footprints and contribute to healthier air.

"EPA recognizes its top SmartWay carrier partners as they lead the way for their peers in this crucial sector of our economy," said EPA's Office Director of Transportation & Air Quality Christopher Grundler. "We all depend on an efficient and sustainable freight sector, and these award-winning SmartWay carriers have demonstrated that they can get the job done while saving fuel and reducing greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants."

EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership is a market-driven initiative that empowers businesses to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible to protect public health and reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change. Demonstration of a commitment to corporate sustainability and social responsibility through SmartWay provides for a more competitive and environmentally friendly business environment. Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting more than 60 million metric tons of the carbon pollution that contributes to climate change, while saving more than 140 million barrels of oil and more than $20 billion in fuel costs. SmartWay also contributes to cleaner air and healthier citizens by significantly reducing emissions of the pollution that contributes to smog.

Western Express, Inc. is being recognized for leadership in the Large Mixed Carrier Fleet category. Mixed SmartWay carrier fleets operate different fleet types, none of which represent 75% or more of the freight operations SmartWay uses to characterize fleets. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company operates a total of eight locations situated in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and West Coast regions of the United States.

Today's SmartWay Freight Carrier Excellence Award recipients were honored at the American Trucking Associations Annual Management Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pa. SmartWay also recognized shippers and logistics company award recipients on Oct. 13, 2015 at the U.S. EPA Heavy Duty Technology Showcase in Ann Arbor, Mich.

For more information on the SmartWay Awards: http://www.epa.gov/smartway/about/sw-awards.htm

More information on SmartWay: www3.epa.gov/smartway/

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