DENSO Manufacturing Michigan
Improves its Transportation Footprint through
EPA's SmartWay Partnership
Costs and Benefits of
Joining the SmartWay Partnership
Costs*
Minimal
implementation
cost—data
tracking,
communicating
with carriers,
improving site
operations to
focus on fuel
efficiency.
Nominal time
investment
to collect
and manage
transportation
data.
*as of Jan. 2009
Savings and
Other Benefits
Reduces operating cost from
transportation efficiencies
and lower fuel demands.
Extends footprint tracking to
transportation operations.
Provides technical
assistance to help quantify
transportation emissions.
Links facilities to leading
"green" carriers—fuel
efficiency translates into
competitive advantages.
National
Environmental
PerformanceTrack
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
PERFORMANCE TRACK FACILITY
DENSO Manufacturing Michigan Inc.,
Battle Creek, Michigan
GOAL CATEGORY
Air Emissions
RELATED INDICATORS
Nonproduct Outputs: Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions
OVERVIEW
DENSO Manufacturing Michigan (DMMI) designs and produces automotive heating and
cooling components and systems. As a Charter Member of Performance Track since 2001,
DMMI has taken advantage of the program to pursue new and creative ways to align its
operations with DENSO Group's global environmental initiative, EcoVision 2015.
DMMI's goal for EcoVision 2015 is to reduce normalized carbon dioxide (C02) emissions
by 18 percent by 2010. To achieve this goal, DMMI is implementing a broad program
of building-specific emission reduction initiatives. In addition, DENSO analyzes its
transportation footprint to find opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
DMMI has partnered with EPA through the SmartWay Transport Partnership, which
helps facilities measure transportation-related emissions and make tangible progress
to improve upstream and downstream environmental performance by using carriers
with improved fuel efficiency standards. Facilities also contribute to SmartWay by
implementing best practices across transportation operations. DMMI joined SmartWay
in 2005 and continues to refine its transportation strategy, with 72 percent of its
product mileage coming from SmartWay certified carriers as of 2009.
THE EPA SMARTWAY PARTNERSHIP
Any company that ships or receives items delivered by truck or rail transport is
eligible to participate in SmartWay. As a shipper partner, facilities must assess their
transportation operations and commit to improving facility transportation emissions
within three years—their goal is to ship at least 50 percent of goods using SmartWay
transport carriers. DMMI works directly with its staff and with its network of freight
carriers to reduce fuel use. Information related to transport operations is managed
using the FLEET tool, an Excel-based tool that evaluates shipping operations based on
the amount of goods and materials shipped using SmartWay carriers.
The Shipper/Logistics model (S/LM, which is part of FLEET) allows participating
facilities to calculate emissions from the entire range of its transport operations—
including trucking companies, rail services, transportation equipment, and from trucks
idling at the loading docks. With an easy-to-use interface, S/LM produces a SmartWay
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A SmartWay-certified truck carrier parked at DMMI's loading docks.
score based on transportation data entered by the facility,
enabling facilities to understand how fuel savings translate
into emission reductions and measurable environmental
improvements.
SmartWay scores are generated from a weighted average of
the number of certified carriers employed and overall efficiency
improvements related to transportation operations. An optional
emissions footprint score helps companies determine the amount
of emissions they generate from the use of transportation
resources, which can include hired freight services (e.g., trucks
and rail); idling from trucks at facilities; and equipment such
as forklifts, loaders, and generators. At a minimum, a shipper
can calculate greenhouse gas emissions, along with particulate
matter and NOX emissions depending on the availability of
emissions factors from shippers.
IMPLEMENTING A SMARTWAY
ACTION PLAN AT DMMI
EPA provides technical assistance to help facilities quantify
emissions, and can assist in identifying certified carriers in
a facility's region to help it meet fuel-efficiency goals. The
FLEET tool and other information resources are available on
the SmartWay website to help shippers track progress toward
transportation emission-reduction goals.
Upon joining the program, shippers develop an action plan based
on a set of goals that are achievable over a period of three years
from the start date of membership. DMMI's action plan begins
with a commitment to promote company and corporate awareness
of SmartWay throughout the DENSO network of facilities, followed
by efforts to notify carriers about the partnership and offering to
give them a presentation outlining how the SmartWay program
works. Site impact reductions at DMMI have focused on improving
carrier mileage tracking systems and inputting data for footprint
evaluation and benchmarking.
Examples of other SmartWay Action Plan goals include:
* Converting from diesel to electric forklifts at all facilities to
improve efficiency and ambient air quality in and around
freight docking areas.
* Contacting DENSO carriers to tell them about SmartWay and
incorporating partnership status into the contract bidding
process with preference or points given to partner carriers.
* Using intermodal operations, which combines the fuel
efficiency of rail with the logistical advantages of trucking.
* Labeling boxes and packages of company products that are
carried by SmartWay Transport Carrier Partners.
* Improving pickup/delivery and truckload scheduling with
freight logistics software that helps to plan delivery times and
shipping loads.
* Upgrading the light-duty fleet with more fuel-efficient and
lower-emitting vehicles.
BENEFITS
Participating in the SmartWay Partnership provides clear
environmental and business advantages while helping facilities
improve their emissions-tracking capabilities. Working together,
DMMI and its carrier partners have reduced:
* Fuel consumption from trucks and rail delivering freight
* Operating costs associated with freight delivery
(improved logistics)
* Emissions of C02
* Emissions of NOX, particulate matter, and air toxics
By 2012, SmartWay partners will help save between 3.3 and
6.6 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year, avoiding at least
33 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and up to
200,000 tons of NOX emissions per year.1 From a business angle,
DMMI believes it is important to work with carriers that share
the SmartWay approach. Mike Myszka from DMMI emphasizes
this synergy of business and environmental benefit: "When
carriers combine an environmental conscience with economic
savvy, we all win in the end."
RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION
* EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership [http://www.epa.gov/
smartway/] provides an overview of the program and links to
a member database and the FLEET tool.
* DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program [http://www1.eere.
energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/index.html] works on research
and development of energy-efficient and environmentally
friendly transportation technologies.
1 http://www.epa.gov/orcdizux/smartway/transport/
partner-resources/resources-faq.htm
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