Working sustainably and intentionally with Averitt

Post Date - Jul 21, 2022

At Averitt, we believe that we have a responsibility to not only take care of our drivers, but also to take care of our planet. We feel obligated to be intentional in how we strive toward sustainable business practices. As one of the founding members of the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program, we’ve promised to meet specific environment-saving goals each year. To do this, we’re focusing on smarter fuel and energy use, environmental advocacy and eco-focused technology, working with our drivers to make it all possible.

For our drivers, this means we’re using the latest software to help them plan routes efficiently, saving them time and money. The system we’re using alerts drivers to the most cost-effective fueling locations. We also use an automated vehicle ID program that allows drivers to bypass weigh stations, keeping them moving and preventing unnecessary waiting.

The way our multiple service units – LTL, Truckload and Dedicated – work together leads to natural shared efficiencies, more round-trips and fuel-efficient transportation by reducing the number of empty miles so our drivers are using less fuel and wasting less time.

It’s important to us that we’re using the latest in eco-friendly technology. This is why we’ve:

- outfitted our sleeper tractors with auxiliary power units to reduce fuel usage
- installed LED lights on our tractors and trailers
- improved aerodynamics through modifying roof fairings, cab extenders, skirt packages and more
- employed state-of-the-art engines with technology in exhaust, gas and soot regeneration
- used technology to measure fuel efficiency
- added more fuel-efficient tires on our tractors and trailers
- equipped trucks with systems to reduce idling and maximize MPG

Averitt teammates are directly rewarded for reaching sustainability and efficiency goals through our Red Thinkin’ Rewards program which awards points for hitting a variety of driving goals. Our drivers have the potential to earn 25,000 points each quarter for meeting MPG (miles per gallon) goals and avoiding preventable accidents. These Red Thinkin’ Rewards points can be redeemed for thousands of items in our catalog, from vacation packages to golf clubs, electronics to jewelry, and everything in between.

We also want to model good earthly stewardship by looking for more environmentally friendly ways to do daily business tasks. Some of these efforts include recycling all used oil and oil filters, all paper used at our corporate headquarters, tires that cannot be repaired for reuse, and all scrap metal created from in-house maintenance and body work on tractors and trailers. We’re also focusing on reducing our paper usage using technology and have installed drive-through tractor wash bays that are designed to collect and recycle used water. There are areas at all of our facilities where our drivers can recycle their plastic and aluminum containers. It’s a team effort, so we encourage all our drivers to look for ways to help us reduce our carbon footprint.

So far, we’ve been able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 38% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 96% and saved 6.2 million gallons of diesel fuel. Not only that, but we’re honored to have been recognized for our sustainability efforts by some of the industry’s leading organizations. Awards include Tennessee Trucking Association’s Clean Diesel Leadership Award, an Inbound Logistics Green Supply Chain Partner for 2021 and a Food Logistics’ 2020 Top Green Provider.

Another way Averitt has a sustainability edge is in testing electric tow motors. We currently have four electric tow motors at distribution centers and warehouse with 14 more on order. Using electric tow motors is better for the environment and it helps us with ease of refueling. With this technology, we do not need to stockpile liquified petroleum gas for these units.

We know that being a sustainable company is something that’s important to a lot of our drivers. If you have any questions about the work we’re doing or about joining our team, give us a call today!