SmartWay Shippers measure, benchmark, and improve their performance on an annual basis. Shipper performance is based on evaluating how much of the freight you ship is carried by benchmarked SmartWay Carriers versus non-SmartWay Carriers.

You must submit a completed and accurate SmartWay Shipper Tool to EPA by the due date listed on this page to be a SmartWay Shipper in good standing and to be eligible for partner recognition.

Shipper Tool and Example Tool

The tool contains screen demos and guidance on each page to help you complete and submit your tool. This tab also contains additional guidance with worksheets to help you collect your data for tool submission.

• READ THIS FIRST: How to Download the SmartWay Tool 
• Download the Shipper Tool (2015 Data Year)(1 pg, 11 MB, October, 2016) Save this file to your computer before opening.
• Example Tool (Filled In)--Download(1 pg, 14 MB, October 2016) Save this file to your computer before opening.

Shipper Tool User Guides

Use these guides to understand the tool data entry and submission process. Note that the data worksheets are available in the appendices of the Quick Start Guide, and are no longer listed as stand-alone documents.

• Click here to access the follow shipper tool support documents:
  • SmartWay 2.0.15 Shipper Tool: What's New (PDF)
  • SmartWay 2.0.15 Shipper Tool: Quick Start Guide (PDF) 
  • SmartWay 2.0.15 Shipper Tool: Data Entry and Troubleshooting Guide (PDF) 
  • SmartWay 2.0.15 Shipper Tool: Technical Documentation (PDF) 

For those selecting the outside data import option to upload carrier activity data, this detailed guide tells you how to create a file that contains your company’s in-house carrier data in SmartWay’s prescribed format, thereby reducing the need to manually enter carrier activity data.

• Guide to Importing Carrier Data Using the Outside Data Import Function (PDF)* (27 pp, 745K, July 2015, EPA-420-B-15-073a)*This is optional and is designed for users with large amounts of carrier data.

Submit Your Shipper Tool to EPA

Once you have completed your Shipper Tool for this year, there are two steps to submitting it for evaluation by EPA:

Step 1) Save it to your computer in a place you will remember. When you save, you will generate two files—both an .xls file and an .xml file.

Step 2) Email both files to your Partner Account Manager. If you do not know who your Partner Account Manager is, you can submit your two files via email to smartway_transport@epa.gov for evaluation.

SmartWay Shippers improve their overall performance by using more and better SmartWay Carriers to move their freight. All SmartWay Carrier Partners are ranked by their performance levels. EPA provides a table with all carriers' relative performance rankings to help SmartWay Shippers and Logistics Company Partners quickly assess the performance of prospective and current carriers in various categories.

• Learn more about SmartWay Carrier Ranking Data
  • The performance ranking files are refreshed every Monday afternoon. (For reference purposes only.)
• Understanding SmartWay Data: A Primer for Shippers (PDF) (3 pp, 390K, June 2012, EPA-420-F-12-018)

You can also view detailed reports and other information about partner performance via the SmartWay Portal.

• Visit the SmartWay Portal

EPA provides webinars and other training opportunities to help carriers learn how to get more value from the SmartWay program.

Training Webinars

EPA regularly schedules webinars on using the SmartWay tools, unlocking the value of the data, and learning how to improve your fleet's performance.

• View SmartWay Webinar Schedule

Fact Sheets and Technical Bulletins

• Fact Sheet - SmartWay Shipper Strategies (PDF) (2 pp, 57K, February 2004, EPA-420-F-03-040)
• Idle Reduction for Shippers (PDF) (2 pp, 683 K, February 2016, EPA-420-F-16-005)
• Intermodal for Shippers (PDF) (2 pp, 677K, February 2016, EPA-420-F-16-006)
• Load Optimization for Shippers (PDF) (2 pp, 668K, February 2016, EPA-420-F-16-007)
• Packaging Reduction for Shippers (PDF) (2 pp, 668K, February 2016, EPA-420-F-16-008)
• Route and Network Optimization for Shippers (PDF) (2 pp, 665K, February 2016, EPA-420-F-16-009)
• Endnotes for A Glance at Clean Freight Shipper Strategies (PDF) (7 pp, 35K, February 2016, EPA-420-B-16-041)
  The Endnotes document includes cites for all references in the "A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies for Shippers" technical bulletin series.

Professional Association Links

Industry trade associations are a great resource for the most up-to-date information about these strategies.

• Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Exit is a trade association that educates and advocates for the retail sector.
• The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Exit provides education, research, connections, and professional growth for supply chain professionals.

EPA encourages SmartWay Partners to share their achievements and participation in the SmartWay program with their customers, clients, stakeholders, and stockholders. There are several ways Partners highlight achievements:

Best Practice Guidance: Read this page for guidance on how to communicate your participation in the Partnership.

• Sharing your Participation in SmartWay-Best Practices

Feature Partner Profiles: EPA frequently develops profiles of SmartWay Partners that provide examples of effective freight supply chain sustainability measures.

• If you have a strategy, policy, or solution to a significant freight sustainability challenge that you would like to share with your industry, email your interest (smartway_transport@epa.gov) with the subject line "Interested in becoming a Featured Partner" to be considered.