By operating 21 manufacturing facilities throughout the continental U.S. and Alaska, Metal Sales is able to produce finished products close to where they will be installed. This translates into big savings in fuel expenditures for shipping and smaller and more efficient delivery trucks.
Metal Sales is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, especially on the highways and byways where we transport our products to distributors and job sites. The trucks that comprise our company-owned shipping fleet are equipped with on-board navigation that maximize delivery route efficiencies and Metal Sales continuously retires older, less efficient vehicles for newer, more efficient models.
There are several company-wide initiatives in effect that reduce fuel consumption and improve driving behaviors. Our private fleet of trucks meets the 2007 Highway Rule for reduced engine emissions. Electronic monitoring on engines provides data to help improve fuel economy through driver education on their driving behaviors. Bunk heaters save approximately 6 gallons per night for an overnight stay and in some trucks a full-blown auxiliary power unit also provides A/C in addition to heat when needed. Our aluminum or galvanized based trailers are subject to less corrosion, and our goal is to increase service life by as much as 2 times the previous models. These light-weight trailers also allow us to haul more product and increase efficiency, which in turn reduces fuel use and our carbon emission footprint. Compliant with federal emissions guidelines, the exhaust coming from our new trucks is cleaner than the outside air.
In examples of local efforts, 10% of the Denver workforce participates in ride share to work. In Anchorage, the sales team has mapped an efficient sales routing system to service customers and eliminate the wasted time and fuel in backtracking between locations.
Our offices and manufacturing plants continue to undergo energy efficient lighting upgrades, which have already significantly reduced the company's energy consumption.
For an overview of Metal Sales sustainability, click here.