Form 5900-488 Semifinalist Application Shipper

2025 SmartWay
Excellence Award Shipper Semifinalist
Application
Application Information and Instructions
Congratulations! Your company has met the criteria to
qualify as a SmartWay Excellence Award semifinalist and is
invited to apply for Award consideration. Shippers that
qualify as semifinalists meet a set of emissions-based
criteria that clearly distinguish the environmental
performance of their transportation and logistics
operations. Review the 2025 SmartWay Excellence Award
Criteria factsheet for details.

Please complete and submit the application by the deadline of 5 PM PT on Monday, April 28, 2025.

EPA Form Number: 5900-488 | OMB No. 2060-0663 | Expiration Date: 03/31/2025
Burden Statement: This collection of information is approved by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (OMB Control No.
2060-0663). Responses to this collection of information are voluntary (Energy Policy Act of 2005; citation 109-58). An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 3.25 hours to compile and submit the SmartWay Semifinalist
Application form. This is a one-time submittal. Send comments on the Agency’s need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden
estimates and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden to the Regulatory Support Division Director, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (2821T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any correspondence. Do not send the
completed form to this address.

Partner Information
Partner Name:
SmartWay Primary Company Contact:

SmartWay Executive Company Contact:

Names:

__________________________________

_________________________________

Titles:

__________________________________

_________________________________

Email addresses:

__________________________________

_________________________________

Phone numbers:

__________________________________

_________________________________

Mail addresses:

__________________________________

_________________________________

__________________________________

_________________________________

__________________________________

_________________________________

By typing my name in this
box, I confirm that all
information submitted on this
application is accurate and
valid.

Actual or digital
signatures required:

_________________________________
Company PR/Media Contact:

_________________________________
Company PR/Media Contact (optional)

Names:

_________________________________

_________________________________

Titles:

_________________________________

_________________________________

Email addresses:

_________________________________

_________________________________

Phone numbers:

_________________________________

_________________________________

Q1: FREIGHT EFFICIENCY PLANNING and REPORTING: ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY, FREIGHT,
SMARTWAY
Select all statements below that apply to your company’s efforts regarding freight efficiency planning and
reporting, including use of SmartWay Shipper Tool, data and/or results (emission metrics-CO2e, NOx and PM)
that your company cites or publishes. Please describe your company’s efforts for all checked boxes. In essence,
each summary narrative should contribute to your company’s overall efforts with regard to freight efficiency
planning and reporting, including how environmental stewardship, freight and SmartWay fit into those efforts.
[These plans and reports may include highly structured environmental disclosure reports, or unique companybased reports].
Add weblink(s) to supporting documentation to substantiate summaries provided. If digital attachments are
included to substantiate the summary of your company’s efforts, please label attachments with your company
name and the question number the attachment is meant to support. We request that you use the following file
naming convention: CompanyName_Q1-x.DOC. Evaluation points will be allocated accordingly.
Sustainability (Freight Emissions) Planning and Reporting
Q1.a: Our company prepares a publicly available Environmental Sustainability Report (that addresses freight
efficiency or supply chain sustainability). If “yes” checkbox is selected, provide a brief summary of your
company’s report and how it addresses freight efficiency, emissions reduction or other SmartWay-related goal.
Identify the types of air pollutants (toxic emissions, NOx, PM, climate.) your company includes in this
environmental sustainability report. Remember to include weblinks to supporting documentation. Maximum
word count is 500. Note: this summary may be shared publicly.
☐Yes
☐No

Environment, Freight and SmartWay
Q1.b: Our company uses one or more of the following frameworks to support its environmental planning and
freight efficiency reporting program.
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐

World Resources Institute’s GHG Protocol
Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi)
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
CDP (formerly known as Carbon Disclosure Project)
Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC)
Other (include all)

Provide a brief summary of how utilizing the checked framework(s) supports your company’s environmental
planning and freight efficiency reporting program. Remember to include weblinks to supporting documentation.
Maximum word count is 500. Note: this summary may be shared publicly.

Q1.c: Check all freight emissions planning efforts that apply:
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐

Q.1.d.1. Supply chain emissions data are included and/or disclosed in our company’s environmental
protection program.
Q.1.d.2. Freight emissions data are included and/or disclosed in our company’s environmental
protection program.
Q.1.d.3. SmartWay is a source for freight emissions data included in our company’s sustainability
programs.
Q.1.d.4. SmartWay is specifically cited as a source for freight emissions data included in our
company’s sustainability programs.
Q.1.d.5. Our company has set goals to reduce its supply chain emissions.
Q.1.1.d.6. Our company is achieving demonstrated progress to achieve its supply chain emission
reduction goals.
Q.1.d.7. Our company has set goals to reduce its freight and supply chain emissions.
Q.1.d.8. Our company is achieving demonstrated progress to achieve its freight emission reduction
goals.

Provide a brief summary of how each checked box supports your company’s environmental protection planning
and freight efficiency reporting program. Remember to include weblinks to supporting documentation. If digital
attachments are included to substantiate the summary of your company’s efforts, please label attachments with
your company name and the question number the attachment is meant to support. We request that you use the
following file naming convention: CompanyName_Q1-x.DOC.Maximum word count is 500. Note: this summary
may be shared publicly.

Q1.d: Community, Freight and SmartWay Check all that apply:
☐
☐
☐
☐

Community engagement is an element of our company’s sustainability planning and reporting.
Air quality and its public health impacts are included in our company’s community engagement
program.
Our company engages with communities where our shipping operations may be a source of
localized emissions, impacting residents (or more simply where our shipping operations are located).
We inform communities and other stakeholders that our company is a SmartWay Partner.

Provide a brief summary of how each checked box supports your company’s intersection of community
engagement efforts and your company’s environmental protection planning and freight efficiency reporting
program. Remember to include weblinks to supporting documentation. If digital attachments are included to
substantiate the summary of your company’s efforts, please label attachments with your company name and the
question number the attachment is meant to support. We request that you use the following file naming
convention: CompanyName_Q1-x.DOC. Maximum word count is 500. Note: this summary may be shared publicly.

Q2: FREIGHT STRATEGY INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Check all innovative practices, policies, efforts, strategies that your organization has made in calendar years
2023-2024 to:
help improve freight efficiency or mitigate environmental impacts
o employ new technology application at facilities (e.g. electric or low emission forklifts)
o improve facility operational efficiency
o enhance national energy security with fuels savings
o ensuring emissions reductions efforts include criteria pollutants (i.e., NOx and PM) reductions in
freight strategies
• assist in regional emergencies/crises and reducing urban congestion throughout your supply chain.
For each checked box below, describe your company’s freight transport strategy innovation and implementation
efforts. Include an explanation or results regarding the impact of the innovative strategy on your freight
sustainability (e.g. emissions reductions or efficiency) efforts. Include web links to clearly identified sources which
substantiate these summaries. If digital attachments are included to substantiate the summary of your
company’s efforts, please label attachments with your company name and the question number the attachment
is meant to support. We request that you use the following file naming convention: CompanyName_Q2-x.DOC.
Maximum word count for each summary is 500. Note: this summary may be shared publicly.
•

Our company has:
☐ Q2.a. Delivered, or arranged for transport of, and/or donated vital supplies during emergencies/crises (e.g.
floods, hurricanes, and other disaster relief).

Improved air quality, increased efficiency and decreased noise in congested communities and ports by the
following:
Check those practices employed by your company:
☐ Q2.b. Offered after-hour deliveries

☐ Q2.c. Established “No Idling” zones

☐ Q2.d. Accepted after-hour appointments

☐ Q2.e. Facilitated “drop and hook” operations

Describe/Explain/Summarize effort
(500-word count maximum per each summary):

Check those practices employed by your company:

☐ Q2.f. Reduced detention time by having product
palletized and ready to load at dock
☐ Q2.g. Monitored loading projections to ensure full
trailers and reduce empty miles
☐ Q2.h. Expanded off-peak operations hours

☐ Q2.i. reduced packaging weight and/or volume to
improve transport efficiency
☐ Q2.j. Established fixed appointment times

☐ Q2.k. Shipping dock gate/layout management

☐ Q2.l. Established driver comfort stations to promote
no idling
☐ Q2.m. Unloaded, stacked and organized containers
by shipper from large shippers to promote free-flow
container operations
☐ Q2.n. Used smaller trucks for urban deliveries

☐ Q2.o. Used/encouraged/supported fuel-efficiency
strategies within your company or sector

☐ Q2.p. Shifted freight to another, less pollutionintensive mode
☐ Q2.q. Used double-stacked containers for rail travel

Describe/Explain/Summarize effort
(500-word count maximum per each summary):

Check those practices employed by your company:

☐ Q2.r. Relocated/built new distribution centers (DCs)
to reduce mileage
☐ Q2.s. Integrated new technology

☐ Q2.t. Other

Describe/Explain/Summarize effort
(500-word count maximum per each summary):

Q3: STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION
EPA SmartWay understands that the journey to freight sector sustainability is a collaborative endeavor that
includes modeling and championing accountability, inspiring market and industry transformations impacting how
freight is moved and sharing successful freight sustainability strategies within the freight industry. Identify the
ways in which your company has demonstrated leadership by checking the applicable box(es) below.
Summarize and describe your company’s efforts from each checked box, including identification of those entities
with which your company coordinated or influenced. Describe those interactions and explain how it was
impactful. Add weblink(s) to supporting documentation which substantiates this summary. If digital attachments
are included to substantiate the summary of your company’s efforts, please label attachments with your
company name and the question number the attachment is meant to support. We request that you use the
following file naming convention: CompanyName_Q3-x.DOC. Maximum word count of 300. Note: this summary
may be shared publicly.
Check those collaborations deployed by your
company:
☐ Q3.a. Collaboration on safety initiatives

Describe/Explain/Summarize effort
(500 word count maximum per each summary):

☐ Q3.b. Collaboration on humanitarian aid initiatives

☐ Q3.c. Green freight procurement

☐ Q3.d. Collaboration on community initiatives that
integrate emergency response
☐ Q3.e. Collaboration on sustainability initiatives

☐ Q3.f. Effective green carrier recruiting techniques
and incentives
☐ Q3.g. Industry education efforts (webinars,
conferences, or trainings) on freight emissions
accounting and/or sustainable practices
☐ Q3.h. Other

Q4: COMPREHENSIVE TOOL (ACTIVITY/DATA) REPORTING

SmartWay encourages Partners to report ALL business operations that require goods movement services. Does
your SmartWay Shipper Tool capture or include freight movement (both SmartWay and non-SmartWay carriers)
from all your company divisions, sister companies or subsidiaries, including various modes - truck, intermodal,
rail, barge, and air?
☐ Yes

☐ No

If yes, share the names of the business units and elaborate below. Add weblink(s) to supporting documentation
which substantiates this summary. If digital attachments are included to substantiate the summary of your
company’s efforts, please label attachments with your company name and the question number the attachment
is meant to support. We request that you use the following file naming convention: CompanyName_Q1-x.DOC. If
no, please explain below. Maximum of 500 words. Note: this summary may be shared publicly.

Thank you for completing the 2025 SmartWay Excellence Award Semifinalist Application.