Lowe’s Honored for Energy-Efficient Transportation Practices

Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s Cos. has earned its first Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership. The retailer was recognized for its leadership in conserving energy and lowering greenhouse-gas emissions from its transportation and freight-delivery system.

To earn the award, Lowe’s implemented initiatives that resulted in reduced carbon-dioxide emissions and less overall highway congestion. These included increasing shipping by rail; instituting a more efficient process for inbound and outbound freight deliveries; increasing efficiency of truckload shipments allowing more products to be shipped on a fewer trailers, and continuing to use a higher percentage of SmartWay carriers.

“By 2010, we plan to transport 90% of our shipments by SmartWay Transport Partners,” said Steve Palmer, Lowe’s VP of transportation. “By utilizing SmartWay carriers, we are able to encourage increased energy efficiency of our freight-delivery system and help lessen the impact of vehicle emissions on the environment.”