News

TOTE Group’s operating fleets to be certified by Green Marine

April 19, 2023

Jacksonville, FL – TOTE Group, an industry leader in U.S. transportation and logistics, is enrolling its TOTE Maritime Alaska and its TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico fleets in Green Marine, the leading voluntary environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry.

With a special fleet of roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) cargo ships, TOTE Maritime Alaska serves the maritime route between Tacoma, WA, and Anchorage, AK. Its highly efficient and dependable custom-built cargo ships for this route are part of TOTE’s commitment to Alaska, its communities and environment since 1975.

TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico routes cargo from across the continental United States through Jacksonville, FL to Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Caribbean, offering critical services to the islands where reliable delivery of goods and supplies are vital. TOTE introduced the world’s first two LNG-powered containerships in 2015, specifically for this Puerto Rico trade.

“TOTE’s use of alternative fuels such as LNG dramatically reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a tank-to-wake basis, offering a pathway to decarbonization in the shipping industry,” said TOTE Group President & CEO Tim Nolan. “By utilizing the cleanest, most readily available fuel for shipping today and into the future, TOTE is creating positive outcomes for those we serve and the coastal communities in which we operate.”

Green Marine’s President David Bolduc salutes TOTE’s environmental vision: “It is with great pride that we welcome such a sustainability pioneer and leader within our certification program,” he said. “I look forward to us learning from each other’s experience.”

Bolduc also noted that the Green Marine program is a good fit for a multi-faceted company such as the TOTE Group. “We are very pleased with TOTE’s intention to enroll its terminal operations into the certification process in due course,” he said. “Our program is unique in its certification of both ship activities and landside operations.”

To achieve Green Marine certification, TOTE will assess the environmental performance of its operating fleets through key performance indicators that address such issues as greenhouse gases, ballast water discharge, air emissions, oily water, waste management, underwater noise, and ship recycling. The certification process is rigorous and transparent, with results independently verified every two years, and each participant’s individual performance made public annually.

Green Marine Overview

Founded in 2007, Green Marine’s North American environmental certification program is celebrating its 15th year as a voluntary effort by the shipping industry to go beyond regulations. There are currently more than 175 ship owners, port authorities, terminal operators, and shipyard managers throughout Canada and the United States participating in the program. A pivotal element of Green Marine’s success from the outset has been the active support from environmental stakeholders, the scientific community, and governments. Many of the more than 90 Green Marine supporters take part in reviewing and shaping the environmental program. In 2020, Green Marine collaborated with Surfrider Foundation Europe to export the environmental certification program to France and give birth to Green Marine Europe. More details are available at www.green-marine.org.

About TOTE Group

TOTE Group is an industry leader in transportation and logistics, overseeing the deliveries of some of the most trusted U.S. companies with the highly reliable services that it provides to the customers and communities that it serves. Its maritime business line has a team of logistics professionals dedicated to providing shipping solutions for service throughout the Lower 48 to Alaska and Puerto Rico. Its terminals business line provides world-class stevedoring and cargo services. Other TOTE Group services include vessel construction, ship management and top-to-bottom technical consulting for ships that range from cargo to military vessels. As the owner and operator of independently managed operating companies, the TOTE Group upholds four pillars in all its enterprises: safety, customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and colleague experience.

Carlile Steps Up For Safety at Annual Community Event

July 29, 2022

ANCHORAGE – Alaska has some of the most hazardous driving conditions in the country. In 2020, there were 53 fatal motor vehicle crashes and 64 deaths in the state, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Traffic fatalities at a national level reached a 16-year high in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is one of many reasons Carlile Transportation, an Alaska shipping company, is active in roadway safety and prevention education.

The company kept safety awareness moving at the annual Wheel-O-Rama fair on June 15. The event, hosted by Alaska Regional Hospital, raised awareness about trauma, safety, and injury prevention related to wheeled vehicles. Carlile was joined by several community partners, including police officers, firefighters, People Mover , and the American Red Cross.

“Safety is at the core of our business operations. We appreciate the opportunity to spotlight safety practices in the communities that we serve,” said Jeremy Miller, who is Vice President of Operations at Carlile.

Carlile is Alaska’s leading trucking and logistics company, with terminals in Alaska, Tacoma, Houston, and Alberta. The company provides trucking, ocean, air, and rail solutions to connect shippers and supply chains to Alaska.

Carlile Truck Drivers Steer for the Win At Annual Competition

July 26, 2022

ANCHORAGE – Rogue moose, heavy snow, and summer traffic are just a few examples of the many challenges motorists face in the Last Frontier. It’s all in a day’s work for Alaska’s truckers, who are trained to navigate some of the most hazardous terrains in the country. On June 4, Carlile’s professional drivers put their skills and training to the test and won top spots at Alaska’s annual Truck Driving Championship.

Bill Krenz, a Carlile driver of 12 years, took first place in the tank truck division. Brad Hinkes, also with Carlile, an Alaska shipping company, for more than a decade, took first place in the four-axle tractor-semitrailer division and was the overall grand champion. The competition featured a total of nine vehicle categories ranging from step vans to five-axle big rigs. Competitors completed a multiple-choice test on trucking safety facts and were also judged by time and proximity to targets, often winning or losing by mere inches.

“The competition is a great opportunity to come together as a trucking community. Congratulations to all drivers who placed in the competition,” said grand champion Hinkes.

The annual truck driving championship is hosted by the Alaska Trucking Association, formed in 1958 to foster and promote the trucking industry in Alaska. The organization has hosted more than 20 truck-driving championships in Alaska.

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Think you have what it takes to be a Carlile truck driver? Learn more about careers in truck driving.

Carlile is Alaska’s leading trucking and logistics company, with terminals in Alaska, Tacoma, Houston, and Alberta. The company provides trucking, ocean, air, and rail solutions to connect shippers and supply chains to Alaska.

Carlile To Transport More Than Two Dozen Bison

July 19, 2022

BOLSTERING BISON: CARLILE TO TRANSPORT MORE THAN TWO DOZEN OF NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST ANIMALS

ANCHORAGE – Carlile Transportation, an Alaska shipping company, is working in partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) on the latest phase of a major wood bison restoration project that has been in the works for several decades. Twenty-eight yearling wood bison are headed to the Lower Yukon-Innoko area as part of a long-term restoration project spearheaded by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Carlile is scheduled to transport the yearlings to Nenana from the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on July 20. This group of bison was among 40 animals that came from Elk Island National Park in Canada this April as part of a long-term partnership between ADF&G and Parks Canada. The transport and release of these 28-yearling bison to the Lower Yukon-Innoko rivers area is a continuation of wood bison restoration efforts in Alaska. Wood bison are native to Interior Alaska and Northwestern Canada. By the early 1900s, they had disappeared from Alaska and only a few hundred remained in Canada. As part of the effort to restore the species to much of North America,130 wood bison were released in the Lower Yukon-Innoko rivers area in Alaska in 2015.

Alaska Shipping Company, Carlile has partnered with ADF&G since 2008, providing transportation services for hay, other foods, and building materials over the years of planning leading up to the 2015 release of wood bison to the wild. After transport to Nenana from Fairbanks, this group of yearling bison will travel by barge to the Lower Yukon-Innoko rivers area to join the existing wild herd.

“We believe in contributing to the communities we serve. Carlile is pleased to work in partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on this important program,” said Carlile Heavy Haul Project Manager Andy Lewallen.

“It is actions like Carlile’s that are the very essence and spirit of the wood bison restoration effort. Their generosity, dedication, and passion for the restoration of wood bison symbolize the efforts of a devoted, far-reaching, and diverse coalition of individuals and groups who called for and strongly support the return of this native species to the wild in Alaska. The care and transport of North America’s largest land mammal is a very complex task, and Carlile has and continues to contribute to the success of this work. Carlile is to be commended for being an important part of this amazing team effort to bring wood bison back to the Great Land,” said Darren Bruning, Regional Supervisor/Wood
Bison Restoration Team.

Carlile Employee Recognized as Top Alaska Member by the National Association of Women in Construction

June 29, 2022

ANCHORAGE – Elinor Harrington, Senior Account Executive of Carlile Transportation is recognized as the Member of the Year by the Alaska Chapter of National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). The organization works to strengthen the success of women in the construction industry. Harrington, even though she doesn’t have the 5 years required for Regional and National level competition, she has been recognized at the 2022 Pacific Northwest Regional Conference as the Alaska’s chapter member put forth.

“Elinor has been with the company for nearly 7 years and is invaluable to our operations. Her accomplishment is well deserved,” said Terry Howard, President of Carlile Transportation.

Harrington has served many roles in the company since 2015. She has led system implementation and process development projects that have streamlined workflow at Carlile. Her primary function is communications planning and maintaining quality control for customers.

Harrington serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the NAWIC Membership Committee. She is active in recruiting, training, and maintaining members for the Alaska Chapter, which in 2021 won the National award for “Best Retention in a Large Chapter.” Additionally, she serves on the “Women in Construction Week – WIC Week” which she has planned and collaborated with Carlile Transportation in celebrating all the women of Carlile, and is a program presenter for the community. She is part of the planning committee to bring the Spring Forum to Anchorage, Alaska in May of 2023 which will showcase our amazing community and the various construction projects across the state.

NAWIC is a network for women in construction or construction support and related fields. The professional association began as Women in Construction of Fort Worth, Texas in 1953. Today, NAWIC is still based in Fort Worth and has over 115 chapters throughout the United States and over 5000 members and growing.

Carlile is Alaska’s leading trucking and logistics company with terminals in Alaska; Tacoma, WA; Houston, TX;  and Edmonton, Alberta. The company provides logistics expertise in trucking, ocean, air, and rail solutions to connect shippers and supply chains to Alaska.

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