Veritiv reduces emissions by 32% in just 3 years through data-driven strategy
Leveraging Samsara reporting, in tandem with advanced routing software and alternative fuel partners, Veritiv gains momentum in reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030.
Meet Veritiv
Veritiv needed cutting-edge technology to reach their goal to reduce emissions by 50%.
Veritiv is a business-to-business (B2B) distribution company, and as a leading packaging distributor in the United States, they take their corporate social responsibility seriously. Veritiv understands that sustainability is both a responsibility and an opportunity to drive growth, profitability, and long-term value while leaving a lighter footprint on the planet. When the operations team discovered that 60% of the company’s emissions came from their fleet of 500+ trucks, they set an ambitious goal to cut their emissions in half by 2030. With this strategic emissions reduction goal in place, Veritiv needed cutting-edge technology that could help them reduce their emissions strategically through data.
Connecting data to drive progress towards sustainability.
In order to achieve their sustainability goals, Veritiv deployed a myriad of tools and made targeted changes to their operations. After converting as many vehicles as possible to renewable diesel, purchasing compressed natural gas vehicles, testing automated trucks, and exploring electric vehicles, Veritiv made progress but realized there was another way they could lower their carbon footprint.
“The easiest way to lower your emissions isn’t only by changing the type of fuel you use, or using electric trucks,” said Will Vining, Senior Director, Supply Chain Optimization. “It’s not driving the miles in the first place.”
Doubling down on data, Veritiv combined existing route optimization solutions with Samsara reports to track and reduce the total number of miles driven by their fleet.
Real-time data and reporting yields 32% reduction in emissions and increases stakeholder buy-in.
As a result of connecting their data, Veritiv achieved a 32% reduction in emissions in just three years. Additionally, the fleet is pursuing a 6,000 gallon per month reduction in fuel use due to idling, a target they plan to actively monitor with Samsara.
“Samsara can show you idle time and how much it costs you,” said Jon Ayars, Senior Manager of Delivery Optimization and Fleet. “For example, Samsara will show us a vehicle idling for three minutes, and how many gallons of fuel that cost us. That’s the measurement we’re focused on.”
Veritiv also uses Samsara reporting to identify and coach drivers to operate more efficiently and sustainably. “Through Samsara reporting, we have the ability to see specific vehicles and where the idling occurred. This unlocks actionable insights—for example, we might find out that a certain driver is driving well, except for one location. Then, we can coach drivers to let them know where they’re idling and make a plan to reduce it.”
Looking ahead, Veritiv will continue to leverage Samsara to drive stakeholder engagement and buy-in on their sustainability initiatives—from drivers to company executives.
