Carbon Footprint / Emissions Tracking

Carbon footprint tracking in freight measures the greenhouse gas emissions – primarily CO2 – produced by moving goods from origin to destination. It translates shipment data – mode of transport, distance traveled, vehicle type, fuel consumed, and load factor – into emissions estimates, typically expressed in metric tons of CO2 equivalent. As sustainability reporting moves from voluntary to mandatory across industries, the ability to quantify transportation emissions has shifted from a nice-to-have to a business requirement.

Emissions calculations vary by methodology but generally follow frameworks like the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) or the EPA's SmartWay program. The core variables are mode – ocean produces roughly 10–20 grams of CO2 per ton-mile, rail around 25, truck around 60–100, and air around 500 – distance, load utilization (a half-empty truck produces nearly the same emissions as a full one), and fuel type. For shippers, the most impactful lever is usually load optimization and mode conversion – filling trucks more completely and shifting volume from road to intermodal where transit time allows.

Customer and investor pressure is making emissions tracking operationally relevant. Large retailers and CPG companies increasingly require suppliers to report Scope 3 emissions – which include inbound and outbound transportation. Private equity firms and ESG-focused investors ask for sustainability metrics during due diligence. And regulatory frameworks in the EU and California are moving toward mandatory transportation emissions disclosure. Shippers who can't measure their freight carbon footprint will face growing commercial disadvantage.

The practical challenge is data. Calculating accurate per-shipment emissions requires knowing the actual mode, routing, and load configuration – not just assuming averages. Shippers using multiple carriers across multiple modes need a system that captures these details at the shipment level and aggregates them into reportable metrics.