Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co., is among this year’s Top Green Providers by Food Logistics.
Food Logistics is the only publication that covers the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain. Each year, the publication recognizes companies whose products, services or leadership enhances sustainability within the cold food and beverage industry.
Utility has been actively focused on sustainability efforts for many years. To start, the company commissioned the Ramboll Group, a third-party environmental and health consultancy, to help identify and quantify successful sustainability projects at its manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. The Ramboll Group concluded that Utility saves over $1.4 million per year just from reduced water, energy, materials usage, and lowering overall waste generation.
One of the many ways that the company is contributing to sustainability is with the development of the Utility Aerodynamic Side Skirt (USS-120A-4) and the Utility Aerodynamic Tail (UAT). Utility’s Side Skirt comes standard on all Utility trailers and the Aerodynamic Tail comes as a factory-installed option. These two aerodynamic devices have significantly reduced emissions when paired together on a Utility trailer. Fuel savings for the Aerodynamic Tail when combined with the Side Skirt is 646 gallons of fuel per 100,000 miles, the company states.
Additionally, the company has been making a positive impact specifically on the cold food and beverage industry with Non-HFC (Non-Hydrofluorocarbon) foam “Solstice.” Utility is in the process of making the change to “Solstice” and once available it will be the standard foam insulation in all of their reefer products. A key benefit to Non-HFC foam is that it does not incorporate strong greenhouse gases, which helps reduce the impact on climate change. This new base specification of the Non-HFC Foam complies with requirements from those regions in North America that have imposed the Non-HFC foam requirements, Utility adds.
