Green 3PL Strategies

In a world where everyone and everything is trying to ‘go green,’ how is the 3PL industry affected and what steps are companies taking to reduce their energy consumption?  What strategies allow you to cut back on energy consumption and also stay competitive?

Solar Energy is nothing new and it definitely can’t power your entire warehouse but it CAN provide a competitive advantage by appealing to your customers whose consumers are environmentally conscious.  One 3PL (whose name will not be mentioned) slapped a big ole solar panel on the roof of their 500,000 square foot warehouse and it provided them with 20% of the power they were already consuming, and THAT’s green.  Some state governments are even offering subsidies for any company that installs a solar panel of a certain size.  Getting some help from the big guy finally!

Now, how can an industry that puts thousands of trucks on the road everyday reduce fuel consumption?  Developing shipping and network optimization strategies for customers (who will realize savings through consolidation) will result in fewer shipments and fewer transportation miles—with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.  The EPA’s Smart Way Transport program has helped companies since 2004 track fuel costs, categorize fleets, and report emissions resulting in better business visibility/cost control.  If you’re not taking advantage of this program you should start.

More specifically trucking companies have installed bunk heaters that allow the components inside (AC, heat, electronics) to run without the engine being on while idle caps won’t allow the engine to run for more than a few minutes.  Conversely, any non-asset based companies have found savings by having the power to select the most efficient mode of transportation and as a result reducing their own empty miles.

Energy and fuel will be consumed, but we can all collectively take steps to execute energy efficient strategies and see to it that at least this industry is heading down the right road.  What business strategy are you implementing to stay competitive and expend less energy?