Barge Carrier Partner 2.0.13 Tool: 

Getting Started Guide

2013 Data Year - United States Version
Transportation and Climate Division

Office of Transportation and Air Quality

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Transportation and Air Quality

EPA-420-B-14-009

March 2014

Barge Carrier Partner 2.0.13 Tool: 

Getting Started Guide

2013 Data Year - United States Version
Barge Tool Users Guide Part 1 | P. 3 

Introduction to Part I: GETTING STARTED GUIDE

This guide is Part 1 of a three part series to help companies transporting freight via barge participate in 

the SmartWay Transport Partnership.1

In this guide you will learn about: 

1) Basic Information about SmartWay; 

2) Joining SmartWay Transport Partnership as a marine company;

3) Understanding the details of the SmartWay Partnership Agreement; and

4) Meeting software/hardware requirements for participating in the program.

Please review this guide carefully BEFORE attempting to gather your fleet data, or enter data into the 

Barge Tool. Understanding the basics of the program, reviewing the Partnership Agreement and making 

sure your fleets fit the criteria for joining SmartWay as a Marine Partner will save a great deal of time 

and simplify your joining process.

If you wish to explore the data requirements for Barge Partners, please review “Part 2: Data Collection 

Overview and Workbook.” 

If you wish to explore the Barge Tool in preparation for joining the program, please review “Part 3: 

Data Entry Guide” and return to this workbook to prepare for gathering your data. 

 

1 SmartWay will provide a separate tool to calculate emissions associated with other commercial marine 

activity such as ocean-going vessels in the future.
Barge Tool Users Guide Part 1 | P. 4 

1. Basic Information about SmartWay

Launched in 2004, SmartWay® is a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program that 

reduces transportation-related emissions and costs by creating incentives to improve supply chain fuel 

efficiency.

SmartWay is comprised of five components:

• SmartWay Transport Partnership: A partnership in which freight companies join and commit to 

benchmark operations, track fuel consumption and improve performance annually. 

• SmartWay Technology Program: A testing, verification, and designation program to help freight 

companies identify equipment, technologies and strategies that save fuel and lower emissions. 

• SmartWay Finance Program: A competitive grant program that makes investing in fuel-saving 

equipment easier for freight carriers.

• SmartWay International Interests: Guidance and resources for countries seeking to develop 

freight sustainability programs modeled after SmartWay. 

• SmartWay Vehicles: A program that ranks light-duty cars and small trucks and identifies very 

high performers with the SmartWay Logo.

About the Partnership

The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a public/private collaboration between the EPA and the freight 

industry to improve fuel efficiency, increase environmental performance, and encourage supply chain 

sustainability.

How the SmartWay Transport Partnership Works

Six types of freight transport companies can join SmartWay:

• Freight shippers

• Logistics companies (including 3PLs/4PLs2

) 

• Truck carriers

• Rail carriers

• Multi-modal carriers

• Barge operators

Participating companies:

• assess freight operations, 

• calculate fuel consumption and carbon footprint, and

• track fuel-efficiency and emission reductions annually.

SmartWay ranks Partners’ performance and makes their performance category available to shippers and 

the public. 

 

2 3PLs/4PLs Third party logistics/fourth party logistics companies.
Barge Tool Users Guide Part 1 | P. 5 

2. Joining the SmartWay Transport Partnership as a Barge Company

Barge companies that join the SmartWay Transport Partnership are known as “SmartWay Barge 

Partners.” 

Participation in SmartWay helps SmartWay Barge Partners: 

• identify opportunities to improve efficiency; 

• demonstrate efficiency to potential customers; and

• reduce fuel costs.

All SmartWay Barge Partners agree to complete and submit the SmartWay Barge Tool to:

• define fleet composition; 

• characterize fleet activity; 

• individually benchmark multiple fleets; and

• track annual changes in performance.

SmartWay Barge Partners also agree to follow the guidelines in the Carrier Partnership Agreement. A 

copy of the Agreement is included in this document on page 5 and is also included in the Barge Tool.

Upon approval of a Barge Tool submission, barge companies will be identified as SmartWay Barge 

Partners on EPA’s website on the “SmartWay Partner List” and in a database used by freight shippers to 

identify companies that meet SmartWay’s annual requirements.

SmartWay Barge Partners that submit their Tools on time and are in good standing meet SmartWay’s 

Logo criteria and are allowed to use the SmartWay Partner Logo on marketing and promotional 

material. 

SmartWay Barge Partners that meet the highest standards of environmental and fuel-efficiency 

performance are eligible to receive the SmartWay Excellence Award. 

Before you can join SmartWay as a SmartWay Barge Partner, you will need to:

1. Review the SmartWay Carrier Partnership Agreement; and 

2. Review the software and hardware requirements to use the SmartWay Barge Tool.
Barge Tool Users Guide Part 1 | P. 6 

3. Reviewing the SmartWay Carrier Partnership Agreement

To join the SmartWay Transport Partnership as a barge company, you must agree to the language on the 

“Partnership Agreement for Carriers.” When you begin working within the Tool, you will be asked to 

check a box stating that you agree to the terms of the Partnership Agreement. This agreement must be 

renewed annually.

Please review this language with the appropriate personnel within your organization before completing 

or submitting a Carrier Tool to EPA.

Partnership Agreement for Carriers

With this agreement, your company joins EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership and 

commits to:

1. Measure and report to EPA on an annual basis the environmental performance of your 

fleet(s) using EPA's SmartWay Tool. (Existing fleets/divisions must report the 12 months of 

data for the prior year ending December 31. Newly formed companies require a minimum 

of 3 months of operational data.)

2. Have performance results and Tool submittal status posted on the EPA SmartWay 

website/database.

3. Agree to submit supporting documentation to EPA for any data used to complete this Tool 

and agree to EPA audit of this data upon request by EPA.

In return, EPA commits to:

1. Promote company participation in the Partnership by posting Partner names on the EPA 

SmartWay Website and in related educational, promotional, and media materials. EPA will 

obtain express written consent from the Partner before using the Partner’s name other than in 

the context of increasing public awareness of its participation as described here. 

2. Provide companies with industry-wide performance benchmark data as this data becomes 

available to EPA.

3. Assist Partners in achieving emission and fuel usage reduction goals (subject to Federal 

Government Appropriations).

General Terms

1. If the Partner or EPA defaults upon this agreement at any point, the agreement shall be 

considered null and void.

2. Either party can terminate the agreement at any time without prior notification or penalties or 

any further obligation.

3. EPA agrees not to comment publicly regarding the withdrawal of specific partners. 

4. EPA reserves the right to suspend or revoke Partner status for any Partner that fails to 

accomplish the specific actions to which it committed in the SmartWay Transport Partnership 

Agreement and subsequent annual agreements.

5. The Partner agrees that it will not claim or imply that its participation in the SmartWay 

Transport Partnership constitutes EPA approval or endorsement of anything other than the 

Partner’s commitment to the program. The Partner will not make statements or imply that EPA 

endorses the purchase or sale of the Partner’s products and services or the views of the Partner.

6. Submittal of this SmartWay Tool annually constitutes agreement to all terms in this Partnership 

Agreement. No separate agreement need be submitted.
Barge Tool Users Guide Part 1 | P. 7 

4. Reviewing the Software and Hardware Requirements to Use the 

SmartWay Barge Tool

The SmartWay Barge Tool is designed in Microsoft Excel Forms and requires the following software and 

hardware: 

• A 2003 or later version of Microsoft Excel

• Excel security level set at Medium or lower

• A PC running Windows XP or newer operating system, or a Mac that is running the 

Windows XP operating system The Tool does not currently work using the Mac 

operating system

• A minimum of 5 megabytes of free disk space. More disk space may be required based 

on the number of business units you define in your Tool

• Adequate memory (RAM) to run Microsoft Office

• A monitor resolution of at least 1,024 x 768 

Please check the user’s guides for your computer, online support, or your company’s IT department to 

make sure your system is set up to use the Barge Tool.

We encourage you to make sure that you virus software is up to date, and scan your PC before putting 

data in the Barge Tool.
Barge Tool Users Guide Part 1 | P. 8 

5. Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics of the SmartWay program and the SmartWay Barge Partner’s role 

in the program, and understand the software and hardware required to participate, it’s time to start 

gathering data about each of your fleets. Please visit www.epa.gov/smartway/forpartners/index.htm

and click on the Barge Carriers to download Part 2- Barge Carrier Data Collection Overview and 

Workbook.