Apr 8, 2026

Turn sustainability insight into supply chain impact

How TQL helps shippers reduce emissions, improve efficiency and build more sustainable networks

By Shannon Russell

Key points:  

• TQL provides emissions data that helps shippers make smarter, more sustainable decisions.
• Our Alternative Fuel Map integrates cleaner fuels into high-volume lanes to reduce emissions.
• Our Empty Miles Reduction program saves miles and cuts emissions, while our Moves that Matter program delivers donated food and essential supplies to communities in need.

Every year, millions of pounds of perfectly good food spoil before reaching the people who need it. At the same time, countless trucks burn fuel driving empty miles across the country. 

At TQL, we see these challenges not as problems, but as opportunities to strengthen supply chains, reduce waste and build deeper relationships between shippers and their customers.

Through free Scope 3 emissions reporting, expert guidance and sustainability tools like the Alternative Fuel Map, Empty Miles Reduction, and product salvage solutions through Moves that Matter, we help shippers turn insights into action – cutting emissions, reducing waste, improving efficiency and supporting communities.

Emissions insight
Understanding your impact is the first step toward reducing it. 

TQL’s Scope 3 emissions reporting gives shippers visibility into the supply chain emissions associated with every shipment we arrange. This information helps customers choose more efficient carriers without sacrificing service.

Related: See how TQL supports more sustainable supply chains

Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a growing business, we provide this reporting at no charge and pair it with support from our sustainability experts. They help customers interpret the data and explore actionable strategies, turning insights into smarter, value-driven decisions.

Reports break down emissions by lane and empty miles, highlighting opportunities to optimize operations. The data aligns with globally accepted calculation standards, helping customers minimize environmental impact within broader sustainability strategies.

TQL’s sustainability commitment is backed by credentials and recognition. We have been a SmartWay Transport Partner since 2010 and were named the 2023 PepsiCo Broker Sustainability Carrier of the Year for Most Improved.

Network optimization
Reducing emissions isn’t just about reporting. It’s about smarter routing. TQL’s Alternative Fuel Map, or AFM, helps shippers and carriers find cleaner fuel options along high-volume lanes.

The AFM provides real-time information on alternative fueling stations, helping reduce detours, improve routing decisions and simplify the use of lower-emission fuels.

One of the biggest challenges to adopting alternative fuel is infrastructure. Many carriers want to reduce emissions but do not know where to find fuel that fits their equipment or routes. The AFM solves this by mapping renewable diesel, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and hydrogen stations along active freight lanes.

Watch: How is TQL driving toward a more sustainable future?

By mapping fuels along active routes, the AFM makes alternative fuels easier to use, helping shippers reduce emissions, improve their networks and strengthen customer relationships.

Empty Miles Reduction
Empty miles – distances trucks travel without freight, often called deadhead miles –require fuel and maintenance, adding cost and inefficiency across the supply chain.

Our Empty Miles Reduction Program and Empty Miles Pledge solve this problem. With our 110,000+ carrier network, we match drivers with nearby shipments and help reduce unnecessary travel.

Launched in 2021, our Empty Miles Pledge aimed to cut 45 million empty miles by 2025. We surpassed that goal ahead of schedule, eliminating more than 65 million empty miles. 

Our next pledge targets an additional 25% reduction by 2030 based on shipment count. This helps shippers and carriers save miles, money and emissions.

Salvaging freight to reduce waste
Fresh, nutritious food should feed people, not spoil in landfills. 
Moves that Matter, a TQL Cares program and the first of its kind in the logistics industry, turns rejected, damaged or surplus freight – including donated food, disaster relief supplies and other essential items – into community support while reducing food waste.

We apply our logistics expertise to every donation so nonprofits can focus on their missions. Since 2020, we have pledged over $3 million to reliably deliver critical goods to communities in need.

Nationwide, food waste has long posed a sustainability challenge. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food in landfills generates 58% of methane emissions and costs the average U.S. consumer about $738 each year. 

Moves that Matter tackles this issue head on while also addressing broader supply chain inefficiencies. Through the program, we: 

• Diverted over 10 million pounds of food from landfills annually for the past three years.
• Transported 12.5 million pounds of essential items in 2025, including 10 million pounds of donated food.
• Moved over 62 million pounds of charitable goods to 544 nonprofits since 2014. 

Moves That Matter shipments have a 0% waste rate because TQL Logistics Account Executives voluntarily and expertly manage shipments to ensure safe delivery.

Through partnerships with organizations like HelloFresh, Once Upon a Farm, and Matthew 25: Ministries, we transform logistics challenges into solutions that reduce waste, support communities and strengthen sustainable supply chains.

Keeping freight moving and out of landfills 
TQL doesn’t just move donated goods. We help all shipments reach their destinations safely and efficiently, reducing the chance that freight is lost, damaged or spoiled. 

Time-sensitive or high-value shipments can quickly become compromised if delayed or mishandled. That’s where our Distressed Load Assistance (DLA) and Salvage teams step in. Whether a load is rejected, delayed, damaged, or needs inspection, these teams keep freight on track.

• DLA Team: Rapidly responds to distressed or damaged shipments, salvaging partially affected freight by restacking, repacking or redirecting.
• Cargo Risk Team: 60+ personnel operate 24/7/365, performing audits, trend analysis and risk management for over 3.9 million shipments annually. Nationwide law enforcement partnerships enhance security.  
• Claims Management Team: Ensures compliance, works with carriers and shippers, and coordinates with insurance for fast, hassle-free resolution.

By proactively managing shipments, TQL prevents unnecessary loss, supports sustainable supply chains and helps ensure valuable goods reach the people who need them instead of ending up in landfills.

Sustainability in action
At TQL, sustainability and logistics go hand-in-hand. Every route we optimize, every empty mile we cut and every donation we deliver drives meaningful impact: lowering emissions, improving efficiency and supporting communities.

Smarter sustainability isn’t just a goal. It’s how we move freight, strengthen supply chains and make a difference with every shipment.

Partner with TQL for sustainable supply chain solutions that strengthen your network and support value-driven decisions. Reach out to your dedicated account representative or email Sustainability@TQL.com.