"If you're not getting better, you're getting worse" — Pat Riley, NBA Coach
Since the early days, Challenger Motor Freight has made innovation not only a goal, but part of our corporate culture. At Challenger, we have always strived to be at the forefront with respect to Technology, Safety, Recruiting & Retention, and Customer Service. By being the "test market" for many innovations, Challenger has shown that embracing the future can be the difference between average and great.
Years ago, we identified internally that the public shift towards environmental awareness will impact the Transportation Industry and decided that we must begin to take the steps to provide leadership in this area. One of the first programs we elected to participate in was the government's Clean Air Corridor Project, which involved Westport Innovations, Enbridge Gas Distribution, Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, and ourselves. The project included the operation of five new Volvo trucks equipped with 450 horsepower Cummins ISX engines fuelled by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). The purpose of this program was to examine the viability of alternative fuels within the transportation industry. This program also proved successful in showing that the industry does not have to sacrifice operating efficiencies (power, torque and fuel efficiency) to reduce the harmful emissions common to the traditional truck.
The decision to participate in this program was made easier by the involvement of the above government agencies and private industry partners. This was one of another example of Challenger being a 'test project' for the industry, a task that we welcomed with open arms. As this program enters its second phase, we are committed to the long term viability of this alternative energy technology.
The second example of Challenger's environmental stewardship was our decision to incorporate the LEED® green building rating system in the development of our new Cambridge headquarters in 2004. The LEED® program was originally developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (U.S.G.B.C.) to provide a recognized standard for the construction industry to assess the environmental sustainability of building designs. Since, its original development, the Canadian Green Building Council has since adapted the U.S.G.B.C. LEED® rating system to the specific concerns and requirements of buildings in Canada.
LEED® is a point-based rating system that awards points for building attributes considered environmentally beneficial. A few of those attributes include:
• Site development to minimize storm water run-off and increase urban density and green space
• Collect and process used oil for floor heating in maintenance building
• 8' Glass shop doors to utilize natural light
• Geo-thermal heating/cooling system for administration building
• Major furniture components are recyclable
• Incorporating the use of natural light wherever possible to reduce energy consumption
• Incentives for employees to employ alternate forms of transportation (bicycles) by providing additional bike racks and showering/changing facilities
• Water use reduction by incorporating waterless urinals, low-flow lavatory faucets and reduced flow showers
• The development of a Green Building Education Program which provides visitors and employees an opportunity to learn more about the LEED® rating system and the building's unique features
These are only a small fraction of the examples of green building solutions that were utilized in the construction of our Headquarters. We are proud that Challenger is one of only a handful of companies in North America to have incorporated the LEED® program to date, and hopeful that companies from all industries follow suit. This again, is another example of our continued commitment to environmental awareness and action.
From a business perspective, all of the solutions incorporated in the construction process have finite 'payback' periods. Granted, these 'payback' periods vary in length depending on the solution, but truth be told - there is a payback. Thus, the program is an investment in the financial future of our organization. An added benefit to this program is the environmental awareness of the employees of Challenger. This awareness has definitely flowed through to the personal lives of our employees. This affect cannot be easily quantified, but is substantial nonetheless.
Within recent years, Challenger has partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. through its SmartWay ® Transportation Partnership. SmartWay Transport is a voluntary partnership between various freight industry sectors and EPA that establishes incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. By 2012, this initiative aims to reduce between 33 - 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions per year. At the same time, the initiative will result in fuel savings of up to 150 million barrels of oil annually. The primary components of the program are as follows:
• Idle saving technologies
• Equipment aerodynamics
• Tire technologies
• Speed management policy
• Driver training
• Fuel Analyst in-house
Recently, our continued leadership in the environmental arena was recognized by the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), with the presentation of the Enviro Award 2007. This is the recognition for being one of the first trucking companies in Ontario to incorporate the 2007 model year "smog-free" truck into our fleet. This represents the continued 'greening' of our overall fleet.
While many of these proto type solutions are currently extremely expensive, they will ultimately become more financially attractive with mass production and general acceptance within the industry. That being said, many other technologies/solutions exist that require very little in the form of capital investment. These opportunities are awaiting adoption, and can provide not only environmental returns but also financial returns. The challenge for the industry as a whole is to get better not worse as quickly as possible. In closing, please ask yourself, is your company getting 'better' or 'worse'?