How Third-Party Logistics Providers Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

For businesses both large and small, reducing their carbon footprint is becoming a matter of increasing concern.  The benefits are many, ranging from immediate cost-savings by reducing waste, to the larger-scale benefits of reducing harm to the planet.  Plus, many state, and nation-level agencies offer rebates, tax credits, and other tangible bonuses for doing business in an eco-friendly matter.

That just leaves the question: how to lower one’s carbon footprint?  For a growing number of businesses, the answer is to hire third-party logistics providers (3PLs).   By outsourcing much of your transportation and procurement to dedicated specialists in the field, you can lower your carbon footprint while also receiving better and more affordable transportation services.

4 Ways 3PL Transport Companies Make Ecological Sense

1 – Reduced fuel use

One of the primary goals of a 3PL is utilizing the world’s transportation network as efficiently as possible.  They have extensive industry contacts, as well as access to many alternative varieties of transportation such as rail and watercraft.  By making use of such services, they can often drastically reduce your overall fuel use, as compared to doing most or all your transportation via gas-burning trucks.  Most shipping involves truck transportation and you can be sure loads are maximized for the most efficient and effective use of trucking logistics.

2 – Avoiding use of air transport

Going along with point one, another important factor in ecologically-sound business is reducing the use of aircraft as much as possible.  Aircraft are huge polluters, releasing far more carbon per passenger or pound of cargo than any other form of transportation.  Cutting air transport out will significantly reduce your impact.

3 – Utilizing sustainable suppliers

How ecologically-friendly are your suppliers?  Do they make smart use of modern technology to reduce their footprint?  The right 3PL can work with you to identify suppliers who share your goals in reducing their ecological impact and behave in a responsible manner when it comes to the creation and disposal of their products.

4 – Smart optimization of all transportation

A third-party logistics provider can look at your entire transportation situation, both incoming and outgoing and treat it as one dynamic whole.  Smart combining of various shipments, avoiding empty “deadhead” runs, and similar optimizations can be utilized to drastically reduce costs alongside carbon emissions.

3PL Transportation Companies Are A Win-Win

In short, when you hire a 3PL, everyone wins.  You get better services at lower costs while helping save the planet as well.  Contact Amstan Logistics to get started today!