There’s a technology revolution taking place with far-reaching implications for energy savings and the environment, and it’s being led by some of the country’s biggest global transportation companies, big-name retailers, U.S. Army researchers, and transportation industry trade associations. What they all have in common is the pursuit of technologies and management practices that when applied properly, can help mitigate the 28 percent of greenhouse gases that the transportation sector contributes to global warming, according to Nobel Prize-winning scientists.

For example, UPS has teamed with Walmart to create “green” policies that will force suppliers and their supply chain partners to adopt energy-saving technologies and alternative fuels. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has teamed with the U.S. Army Automotive Research Center in Warren, Michigan to create the future’s trucks and tanks, with the challenge of developing new technologies that will push the envelope on today’s energy-saving engines, batteries, and especially, alternative fuels.

Then there’s the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA) headquartered in Troy, Michigan, which is working with most global automakers and electronic companies that support the auto and truck industry to bring to market a process that will allow vehicles in clusters of 20 to communicate road conditions and highway backups without human intervention.

From networked vehicles to smart warehouses, to vehicle-to-roadside wireless communication and satellite tracking of containers, technology is turning out to be the hero for global commerce, corporate bottom lines, and the environment.

Following are examples of technologies that were developed to promote global supply chain efficiency, but also happen to assist the climate:

Compliance and Security Software. Nothing can trip up a shipment more quickly than being held up at border crossings. Not only are shipments delayed, trucks end up idling in long lines with all the negatives already outlined. Many software vendors provide solutions to meet national compliance regulations, and assist importers and exporters to qualify for expedited border programs set up since 9/11 that increase security regulations.

One of these is Integration Point, whose software solutions are designed to help importers and exporters take advantage of the U.S. government’s electronic pre-clearance programs. This means that cargo can be “screened ahead of time,” said Clay Perry, Senior Vice President of Global Markets. If all shipping data is entered correctly and filed in time, then shipments avoid being held in customs’ warehouses, forcing costly rescheduling and rerouting of shipments, explained Perry.

Logistics Technology. One of the most crucial links in the global supply chain, logistics operations that move goods in and out of deconsolidation centers to trucks, ocean carriers and jets, also employs just about every possible wireless technology for quick sorting and consolidating or for packing cargo in containers or trucks.

Chris Jones, Descartes Systems’ Executive Vice President, Solutions and Services, is responsible for the development and deployment of the newest generation of transport and fleet optimization solutions.

He believes that helping the environment and reducing costs “absolutely are linked. If you drive fewer miles, you burn less gas. Taking environmentally sound approaches can push the customer in the direction of more cost-effective shipping,” he said. Of all the software Descartes produces, Jones believes that its Transportation Management System (TMS) tools provide the most bang for the buck for both savings and environmental impact.

For trucking customers he says it isn’t just a factor of reducing fuel consumption, but improving efficiency to the point where fewer trucks are required to get the job done. This is possible, he contends, with the proper use of software solutions that optimize routing and reduce pickups and deliveries.

Automated Shipping Processes. Automating the day-to-day shipping processes in the ocean trade with their thousands of transmissions daily has helped reduce paper and energy use by “avoiding unnecessary printing, faxing and emails,” explains Gary Chisamore, Vice President of Freightgate, Inc. and supervisor of its OceanTender.com division. More specifically, he says creations of platforms that allow all parties to a shipment to work together electronically has eliminated paper and fuel as high-powered computers allow for speedy reconciling of trade lanes and select the best routes for ocean and truck shipments.

If trucks can pass through ports without backup and if ocean vessels aren’t stuck waiting in line to enter a port, then Chisamore says the same processes that promote supply chain efficiency serve to save money and the environment. wt



Contributing writer Amy Zuckerman covers high-tech and sustainable supply chains.