As the 2023 NFL Draft will soon have the Carolina Panthers on the clock for the first pick, there's a different type of draft that can help inform responsible shipping decisions this Earth Month. This draft also shares the same initials, thanks to a little stretch of the terminology: The Top Picks for Most Neutral Freight Luggers. Luggers equals freight modes in this case (think lugging cargo) if you'll indulge us, even though the term's definition is more nautical in nature. By neutral, we're concentrating on environmental responsibility. So another way to say this could be drafting the most environmentally friendly freight modes, but that wouldn't work for the NFL of it all.
At any rate, our 2023 draft will undoubtedly be shorter than the football version, as we have far fewer freight modes to choose from than there are draft prospects, so our big board is not so big. In fact, ours will just encompass four picks, and since we're all in the shipping and logistics business, we're all on the same team. We will, however, take stats into account. But instead of dead lift and 40 times, we'll focus on emissions and other sustainability metrics in arriving at our decisions. Without further ado, the first pick is in!
Intermodal transportation - which relies heavily on trains and the rail system - goes with pick number one. As you may have heard, intermodal is the most environmentally friendly form of freight transportation - especially of the ground variety. Here are some statistics to back up that claim in its competition against trucks:
While trucks may have intermodal beaten on other measurables like speed and flexibility, those advantages are often overstated. And for those who think that intermodal is not a good fit for their shipping needs, more than nine in 10 shippers could in fact use one of the many intermodal lanes in North America for their cargo. And back to sustainability, a recent announcement has U.S. railroads shooting for net zero emissions by 2050.
The draft gets a bit less cut and dried after number one, but we'll go with volume and a bet on continued improvements to select ocean liner as the second freight mode based on sustainability factors. Here are a few key reasons why in comparing ocean to its main competition of air freight:
Beyond the present, the IMO has set goals to reduce carbon emissions from ships 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2050 as well. These goals will be achieved in part through stringent requirements for newly built vessels, better fuel and other regulations. There's also increased incorporation of sails, solar and talk of hydrogen fuel cell engines in the future. And similarly to intermodal, volume matters a lot in these calculations. Trains and ships can simply carry far more cargo in one trip than trucks and planes, which certainly helps their emissions calculus.
Trucks have a lot going for them on the environmental front these days, as emerging technology and regulations will likely lead to a big jump in their ability to limit emissions and fuel consumption in the near future. Here are some trucking stats that look good for sustainability:
Once an electric charging infrastructure is in place - or if hydrogen fuel cell trucks take off - trucking could go from a big contributor of carbon emissions to a negligible one, so there's definitely some long-term value in this pick.
Much like the other freight modes in this draft, air freight has improved its environmental track record over the years. And there's no denying its speed, security and reliability - all of which remain important X-factors in talent evaluation. But because its emissions - especially per capita - are higher than the other modes, air freight is bringing up the rear in this draft. We won't call it Mr. Irrelevant, though, as it's still quite relevant and necessary for a variety of cargo. And it still has a lot going for it environmentally, like:
Additionally, the air cargo industry as a whole is aiming to achieve net zero emissions itself by 2050, similarly to the railroads noted above. The Fly Net Zero initiative outlines a combination of 65% SAF usage, 19% offsets and carbon capture, 13% new technology, electric and hydrogen, and 3% infrastructure and operational efficiencies to get there.
So that ends our shipping and transportation mode variation on NFL Draft 2023. As you saw, there was plenty of value in each of the four picks and reason to be excited for the future of freight sustainability.
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