Sustainability
- Trains are almost four times more fuel-efficient than trucks on a ton-mile basis.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that for every ton-mile, a typical truck emits roughly three times more oxides of nitrogen and particulates than a locomotive.
- If just 10 percent of the freight moved by highway were diverted to rail, the nation could save as much as 1 billion gallons of fuel annually.
- Fuel efficiency for U.S. railroads has increased by 86 percent since 1980.
- Railroads and rail suppliers have reduced the weight and increased the capacity of rail cars to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The average freight car capacity is now nearly 100 tons, up 20 percent since 1980.
- One double-stack train can take 300 trucks off of congested highways.
- Save each commuter 41 hours a year
- Save $985 in congestion costs per commuter each year
- Save each commuter 79 gallons of fuel each year
- Reduce air pollution by nearly 920,500 tons each year
Railroads and the Environment
A 25 percent shift of freight from trucks to rail in urban areas in the U.S. by 2026 would, on average:
GPOD of Idaho growers take large steps to ensure that they are as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. One practice is called minimal tillage, a nutrient-saving technique where the grower works the soil as little as possible by doing as much soil work in one pass as possible. For example, they will plow under their grain stubble and build a potato hill all in one pass instead of plowing, then disking, and then building a potato hill. This keeps nutrients in the soil and minimizes chemical and fertilizer application.
Water is always a topic when discussing sustainability. Growers used to use leaky hand lines or flood irrigate. Now they use computer programmed pivot systems that help place the right amount of water at the right place in the field. This saves water and makes a stronger and healthier crop.
Many growers in the region are also leasing portions of their less productive ground to power companies for the use of wind turbines.
GPOD of Idaho has also taken sustainable measures in the last few years to help the environment. We have replaced small ten wheeler trucks used to haul incoming product with larger tractor-trailer semis that can haul double in one load with the same amount of fuel.
We also ship more rail cars than any other fresh shipper in Idaho. Here are some statistics from the rail road that show how much smaller the carbon foot print is for rail shipments over trucks. Visit our rail road partner carriers, Union Pacific and CSXT.
Information provided by CSXT
