NFI, a leading supply chain solutions provider, is among the top industry leaders in transportation to partner with Volvo Trucks and California‘s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for the Volvo Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) project. As part of the partnership, NFI will be operating Volvo Trucks‘ all-electric truck demonstrators in Southern California in 2019, which Volvo plans to commercialize in North America in 2020.

The Volvo LIGHTS project is part of a statewide initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment. With a variety of smart technologies in place to monitor truck performance and maximize vehicle uptime, including remote diagnostics and geofencing, the project is estimated to eliminate 3.57 tons of air pollutants and 3,020 tons of greenhouse gases annually.

“Social responsibility is extremely important to us and we are continuously exploring and implementing new, innovative ways to create more sustainable operations for both NFI and our customers,” said Sid Brown, CEO of NFI. “We‘re excited to partner with an organization whose values align with ours and who shares a commitment to creating a cleaner community across California.”

Along with its partnership with Volvo Trucks, NFI has implemented various clean technologies to further its green initiatives across its dedicated and drayage fleet of over 4,000 tractors and 9,000 trailers. In addition to operating electric trucks in early 2019, NFI is testing electric yard horse demonstration units, as well as Near Zero compressed natural gas trucks fueled with renewable natural gas. The company is also exploring the viability of class 8 battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Additionally, NFI currently uses battery powered Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), as well as aerodynamic components to aid in decreasing fuel usage.

California Air Resources Board (CARB)

To ensure ongoing sustainability, NFI continuously administers testing that focuses on key performance indicators like miles per gallon and the Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) eight SmartWay emissions metrics. NFI has been awarded the EPA SmartWay Partner award three times and has been identified as a SmartWay High Performer in recognition of its efforts. Further, NFI has also been named a top 75 green supply chain partner by Inbound Logistics and a top green provider by Food Logistics, among other accolades.

NFI‘s supply chain solutions span a variety of industries including retail, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and manufacturing. The company‘s integrated suite of solutions consists of dedicated transportation, distribution, brokerage, transportation management, port drayage, intermodal, global logistics, and real estate.