(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Ingram Barge Company was honored today with a SmartWay Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.
"We're so proud to be an industry leader in environmental stewardship, setting the industry standard of excellence," said Chuck Arnold, Ingram's vice president of business and strategic development. "For Ingram and for our barging customers, it means moving more cargo over greater distances using less energy and water and creating less waste."
Ingram Barge Company is the first barge carrier in the history of the partnership to receive this distinction, representing the best environmental performers of SmartWay's nearly 3,000 partners. The carrier excellence awardees are being honored today at the American Trucking Association's Annual Management Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia.
"EPA is pleased to honor these SmartWay partners with a 2015 Excellence Award," said Chris Grundler, director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "SmartWay carriers work diligently to bring our families the goods we need each day, while contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future for our children."
Ingram's long-term commitment to emissions reduction spans nearly 20 years through a diesel engine upgrade and replacement program within its fleet of towboats. With diesel engines being the workhorse of the barging industry, Ingram's focus is toward technologies and enhancements that accomplish these reductions. This focus was rewarded with a report from Emisstar (an emissions consulting services firm) which showed Ingram's emission reductions ranged from 20 to 60 percent with no effect on engine performance and fuel economy due to the use of their DOC Kit equipment.
Through their diesel engine upgrade and replacement program, Ingram has increased fuel efficiency per gallon of diesel over industry averages, while emitting the lowest grams of CO2 per ton-mile of any mode. The 100 million tons of cargo Ingram transports every year takes 5 million truck loads off the roadways.
