ANN ARBOR, Mich. – LTL trucking giant Con-Way Freight is reigning in its 8,400-tractor fleet and restricting speed to 62 mph.

Previously, the fleet had its speed limiters set at 65 mph. The company says the move is intended to reduce fuel consumption by nearly 3.2 million gallons per year while reducing 72 million pounds of carbon emissions.

“Freight transportation, by its nature, is a significant consumer of carbonbased energy resources. Yet it also is one where if we look creatively at how we operate the business, we can find and adopt practices that reduce our carbon footprint and help the bottom line,”said John G. Labrie, Con-way Freight president. “Fuel conservation and cost savings aside, this speed reduction initiative will have the single largest impact on carbon footprint reduction of any operational or business practice change available to us.”

“I commend Con-way Freight for integrating clean, innovative strategies and technologies into its fleet operations to reduce energy use and meet its SmartWay environmental commitments,”said Margo T. Oge, director of the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality.