Practical Ways to Push Sustainability in Your Car Shipping Company

If you work for a car shipping company, you know how challenging it can be to run an operation that is always on the move. Numerous aspects require constant monitoring, tracking, and analysis.

Even if safety protocols and procedures are in place, there are still risks involved with an industry that frequently moves thousands of large trucks from one place to another. Thankfully, the market is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability.

Businesses everywhere have made a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint and implement eco-friendly practices wherever possible to increase the quality of life.

Even five years ago, this could have made operating a car shipping company far more complicated than it is today. But today, working for a green auto transport company can be both demanding and profitable.

Here are some practical ways to push sustainability in your car shipping company:

Importance of Sustainability in the Shipping Industry

Shipping is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Experts estimate that the industry's carbon emissions will exceed those of the airline industry by 2020.

To put that into perspective, a single ship can emit as much particulate matter in one day as 50 million cars!

There are various reasons responsible for this, but it's essential to understand that sustainability is not a fad. It's a necessary step towards the survival of our planet with environmental sustainability.

With more people becoming conscious of their environmental impact, the shipping industry will have to make significant changes to improve everyone's quality of life.

Why Is Sustainability a Key to Success in Shipping?

More stringent restrictions to decrease carbon emissions will impact any industries.

However, these restrictions will hit shipping much harder due to the sheer volume of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

There are several ways you can improve the sustainability of your car shipping business to help protect the environment and reduce your liability.

If you show that you're doing everything possible to reduce CO2 levels to improve air quality, your business may qualify for CO2 credits.

Then, other companies can buy these credits, enabling them to continue polluting. Along with this, a green shipping company will attract more customers.

Many businesses have strict sustainability policies, so your shipping company must meet these requirements.

For example, Amazon has a strict sustainability policy for its third-party shipping partners. Your car shipping company can become certified as green, making winning contracts with large companies easier.

Reduce Consumption

One of the easiest ways to push sustainability in your car shipping company is to reduce the fuel and other resources your company consumes.

To do this, you can analyze your routes and see if there are any unnecessary detours. You can also look at how your drivers navigate cities and make adjustments where necessary. You can also ask your drivers to turn off the engine while waiting at a terminal.

You can also look into installing regenerative braking systems in your vehicles. These systems will help you save fuel and reduce emissions.

You can also look into electric vehicles, hybrids, or even investing in hydrogen-powered trucks. Cutting back on the number of intermediaries in your business is another approach to minimizing consumption.

For example, you can look into consolidating your shipments to reduce the number of unnecessary pickups. You can also look into courier alternatives, such as containers or less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping.

Use Hybrid Electric Trucks

Hybrid electric trucks are the perfect solution to reducing your carbon footprint. They are cleaner, more efficient, and safer than traditional diesel trucks.

They are much more cost-effective to run, so examine your options. Some car shipping companies will have hybrid trucks as standard, while others will require you to source hybrid trucks for your shipments.

Hybrid trucks are more expensive up-front but are also much cheaper to run. If you have a car shipping company, you must ensure you're doing everything possible to reduce your energy consumption. Hybrid electric trucks are the best way to do this.

Use Renewable Energy

If you have a central hub or office, you can look into installing solar panels on the roof. Solar panels will enable your company to generate clean energy and lessen its environmental footprint.

You can also look into investing in an electric vehicle charging station for your employees to use. If you have a warehouse, you can look into installing solar panels or a hydroelectric turbine.

These renewable energy sources will help you offset your electricity costs, reduce your carbon footprint, and generate extra income from selling excess energy back to the grid.

Choose the Right Shipping Boxes

Shipping boxes have become a large portion of the car shipping industry. If you're using wooden boxes or paperboard boxes, you can look into switching to a more eco-friendly material.

There are many options for eco-friendly shipping boxes, but corrugated fiberboard boxes are one of the most sustainable options available.

Another eco-friendly option is to look into reusable shipping containers. These containers are an excellent choice for businesses that regularly ship large quantities of products.

You can also repurpose these containers to hold car parts or other items that you need to transport regularly.

Print Labels Using Thermal Printers

One of the most significant contributors to landfill waste is packing materials like cardboard boxes and paper packing labels from shipping companies. To reduce the amount of paper waste in your shipping department, you can look into thermal printing machines.

Thermal printers use heat to transfer your labels directly onto the products you're shipping. This process eliminates the need for paper labels, which means less waste.

Whenever possible, look into using reusable shipping containers over disposable ones. These containers will reduce the amount of waste your operations produce.

Additionally, whenever possible, take into account using recycled or sustainable substances.

Apply Eco-Friendly Processes

You can develop eco-friendly processes in your car shipping company to reduce your overall carbon footprint.

For example, you can look into reducing the amount of energy used in your central hub or office. You can also consider utilizing less water overall in your business.

If you have a fleet of vehicles, you can consider converting them to hybrid or electric cars. Switching to electric vehicles will significantly reduce the number of carbon emissions your fleet produces.

You can also look into implementing a company carpooling program so your employees can carpool to work. Along with this, you can look into reducing your fleet size.

To save time and money, you can consider condensing your plan for vehicle maintenance.

Incorporate Sustainable Materials

Look into eco-friendly materials if you have any equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced. For example, you can look into using biodegradable packing peanuts or wooden pallets instead of plastic. You can also look into using renewable resources or recycled materials whenever possible.

Examples can include everything from the paper you print your invoices on to the wood used in your desks.

You can also invest in energy-saving equipment, like high-efficiency heat pumps or energy-efficient lighting systems.

Use Shipping Software for Efficient Package Settings

As an online retailer, configuring defaults for each product you sell is one method to prevent packing waste and adhere to these best practices.

Thus, if a customer wants a single unit of a small item, you will be aware of the most efficient and user-friendly packaging design alternative. Shipping sustainably may necessitate the purchase of smaller containers, mailers, or bags.

Shipping software and product automation can remove the guesswork from this procedure. Using package presets, custom packaging types, and automation rules, your shipping platform can automatically assign the appropriate innovative packaging type, dimensions, and weight for each item.

Some shipping programs, such as ShipStation, provide the added benefit of identifying several orders from the same customer, allowing you to bundle products into a single box when appropriate.

A mobile shipping app also includes the option to get pick lists, packing slips, and other order details.

Conclusion

A shipping company that prioritizes sustainability will benefit from reduced operational costs, more sustainable practices, and customer loyalty.

With the increasing popularity of green shipping companies, it has become essential for car shipping companies to adapt their practices to remain competitive.

With these practical ways to push sustainability in your shipping business, you can positively impact your industry.

Our customer service team is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to respond to your inquiries and address any problems or worries you might have while shipping a vehicle so please contact us for further information.