Earlier this year, we sat down with SmartWay to discuss the benefits of our partnership and how XTL is driving for a greener tomorrow. In honour of Earth Day this month, we wanted to share a teaser from that interview.
The Power of Partnership
XTL Transport has built its 35-plus-year success on long-term partnerships. Since being founded in 1985, the privately owned company has forged close connections with a growing roster of customers. XTL Transport works with them to create customized interplant, direct-to-customer, and end-to-end supply chain solutions. As a consequence of this emphasis on understanding and meeting the specialized requirements of each customer, the company has nurtured trusted partnerships with many Fortune 100 and 500 companies in the food, pharmaceutical, retail, pulp and paper, electronics and consumer-packaged goods industries.
XTL Transport’s partnerships extend to its suppliers of trucks and trailers. Throughout its evolution, the company has worked with trusted suppliers Eaton, Cummins and International to develop increasingly fuel-efficient engines and integrate fuel-efficiency best practices into its equipment. As a result, XTL Transport has developed a customized fleet of 456 power units and 1,273 dry and temperature-controlled trailers.
“All our activities and resulting success are built on deep relationships,” said Luc Francoeur, XTL Transport’s vice-president of sales and marketing. “We take the time and effort necessary to forge solid partnerships, because we have learned that they work best for our company over the long haul—and we’re in business for the long haul. We instill this spirit throughout the organization.”
A new enduring relationship
The spirit Luc speaks of is evident in XTL Transport’s decision to add rigour to its efforts to become more fuel efficient. In 2008, the company established ties with a new long-term partner that would help benchmark its performance and inspire new sustainability initiatives: SmartWay. Informed and inspired by the program, XTL Transport was able to gain better perspective on how its sustainability efforts were performing and then close performance gaps and focus on areas for improvement.
The biggest benefit of its partnership with SmartWay came when XTL Transport instituted its personalized driver management program. The initiative was introduced to support the drivers and give them open, direct lines of communication. It is anchored on a data-based emissions audit, diligently studied by drivers and key members of the company’s safety and maintenance team.
“The driver management program has been a win-win-win,” said Jason Wood, XTL Transport’s senior director of fleet maintenance. “It’s a win for our drivers, a win for our customers, and a win for us as an environmentally conscious business. Over the last decade, we’ve achieved a 20 percent increase in fuel economy.”
Driving for a greener tomorrow
The experience of these partnership successes is inspiring XTL Transport to carry out a further series of emissions-reducing reforms…
Stay tuned to see what we’ve got in store for the future upon release of the full interview.