Taking aim at empty miles and freight waste

TQL committed to sustainability solutions to drive positive change 

By Shannon Russell

Total Quality Logistics is dedicated to doing our part to improve the industry and the environment by reducing carbon emissions through our Empty Miles Pledge. 

Empty miles, or distances covered by trucks traveling without freight, are a costly issue in the logistics industry. The unproductive “deadhead” miles contribute to carbon emissions, compromise the efficiency of logistics operations and more. 

• Most drivers don’t make money if they aren’t hauling freight, yet trucks require maintenance and fuel regardless of cargo. 
• Empty miles use fuel and resources that could be allocated to revenue-generating shipments.

As the second-largest freight brokerage firm in North America and one of the largest global third-party logistics providers, TQL is dedicated to improving business practices and the environment through our Empty Miles Reduction Program, vast carrier network, reporting and industry partnerships.

By utilizing our 110,000+ carrier network and offering multiple modes and services that are less carbon intensive, we match drivers with nearby shipments.  

In 2021, we launched our Empty Miles Pledge to reduce 45 million empty miles by 2025.

We’re proud to say we surpassed that benchmark ahead of schedule. We have reduced over 65 million empty miles – and we’re not done yet. Our new Empty Miles Pledge reduces an additional 25% of empty miles by 2030 based on load count.

Collaborative solutions for sustainability 
TQL is dedicated to fostering partnerships with shippers and collaborating with carriers to tackle industry issues like carbon emissions. 

As part of our Empty Miles Pledge, we provide free emissions reporting to help shippers achieve their sustainability goals. The data we offer documents a shipper’s emissions, empty miles and diverse carrier utilization data.

Our free reporting serves Fortune 500 customers as well as the small and medium businesses that lack the resources to track sustainability data.

We also focus on environmental sustainability through industry groups and certifications. To assist in measuring, benchmarking, and improving logistics operations to reduce environmental footprint, TQL has been a registered Smartway Transport Partner since 2010.

Our support of sustainability is reinforced by our 2023 PepsiCo Broker Sustainability Carrier of the Year award for Most Improved. The honor highlights our carrier efficiency, use of SmartWay carriers and increased footprint in other modes.

TQL sustainability experts are here to help. Email Sustainability@TQL.com.