Learn about SmartWay

EPA’s SmartWay program helps companies advance supply chain sustainability by measuring, benchmarking, and improving freight transportation efficiency.

On this Page:

• Freight Matters to Supply Chain Sustainability
• SmartWay Advances Sustainable Transportation Supply Chains
• Core Elements of SmartWay

Freight Matters to Supply Chain Sustainability

Global trade has a net positive effect on the world economy. However, associated freight transportation produces adverse impacts on the environment and public health.

U.S. freight activity continues to expand significantly since the great recession:

• The U.S. transportation system moves a daily average of over 51 million tons of freight or about 57 tons of freight per capita
• E-Commerce sales increased 20-fold between 2000 and 2019
• Experts project that by 2050, global freight transport emissions will surpass those from passenger vehicles.

These trends compel many corporations to seek opportunities to assess and streamline shipping operations so they can use less fuel and generate less pollution.

SmartWay Advances Sustainable Transportation Supply Chains

To address these trends and challenges, EPA developed the SmartWay program.

Launched in 2004, this voluntary public-private program:

• provides a comprehensive and world-recognized system for benchmarking and reporting freight emissions across supply chains
• helps companies identify and select more efficient freight carriers, service providers, transport modes, equipment, and operational strategies to improve supply chain sustainability and lower costs from goods movement
• strengthens national energy security and mitigates environmental risk for companies 
• reduces freight transportation-related emissions by accelerating the adoption of advanced fuel-saving technologies
• is supported by major transportation industry associations, environmental groups, state and local governments, international agencies, and the corporate community

View the SmartWay timeline and learn about the program’s achievements and key milestones reached since SmartWay’s inception in 2002. Progress in making the freight supply chain more sustainable and efficient is driven by the vision, commitment and hard work of SmartWay Partners and Affiliates!  Two Decades of Progress: SmartWay Partnership Milestones (pdf) (1.8 MB, August 2024, EPA-420-F-24-025)

Note: The timeline presents many important SmartWay events and milestones but is not meant to be an all-inclusive history of the program.

Core Elements of SmartWay

There are three core components of the SmartWay Program.

The SmartWay Transport Partnership

Freight shippers, carriers, logistics companies and other stakeholders partner with EPA to measure, benchmark and improve logistics operations so they can reduce their environmental footprint. Learn how to participate in SmartWay.

The SmartWay Brand

Through SmartWay technology verification and branding, EPA has accelerated availability, adoption and market penetration of fuel-saving technologies and operational practices while helping companies save fuel, lower costs and reduce adverse environmental impacts. Learn how to use the SmartWay brand.

SmartWay Global Collaboration

EPA works with a broad range of national and global organizations to harmonize sustainability accounting methods in the freight sector. SmartWay also provides support to global policy makers that wish to model transportation sustainability programs after the SmartWay program. Learn about SmartWay's Global Collaboration.