What the SmartWay list is
SmartWay is a voluntary program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Carriers that take part send EPA information on their fleets each year, and EPA publishes those fleets in its SmartWay carrier performance file: one row for each fleet, with its mode, its category and the USDOT number the carrier gave. EPA updates the file through the year as carriers report. CarrierTrail reads that file and matches it to carrier records by USDOT number.
- Example Freight Co.USDOT 0000000 · Springfield, IL
EPA SmartWaylisted · 2025 data
Listed in EPA’s SmartWay carrier performance file · Truck carrier (TL/Dry Van) · data year 2025. A listing is not an EPA endorsement. EPA SmartWay ↗
Why brokers look for SmartWay carriers
Shippers and logistics companies in SmartWay report to EPA each year which carriers moved their freight. A carrier in the file is counted at the emission rates EPA publishes for its fleet. A carrier outside the program is counted at a default rate that is less favorable. That is why some shippers ask for SmartWay carriers in a bid, and why a brokerage that reports to SmartWay wants to know which of its carriers are in the file.
Where a listing shows in CarrierTrail
A carrier whose USDOT number is in EPA’s file carries a small EPA SmartWay tag on its record. Open the tag for the full sentence: the kind of fleet, the data year and a link to EPA’s page. The free lookup shows the same tag, and the carrier panel in your dashboard has an EPA SmartWay row. The carrier locator has a filter for carriers listed in the file, and reports have a column for the listing. A listing is not an EPA endorsement.
Checked against EPA’s file every day
CarrierTrail downloads EPA’s file once a day, so a revised file reaches carrier records by the next day. The figures in the file describe an earlier year, and the tag says which one. A tag is shown when the name EPA lists agrees with the carrier’s name in the FMCSA census.
Example: a shipper’s bid asks for SmartWay carriers
- Search: in the carrier locator, enter the pickup ZIP code and a radius, then switch on the SmartWay filter.
- Read the tag: open a carrier from the results. Its EPA SmartWay tag reads “Truck carrier (TL/Dry Van) · data year 2025”.
- Check at EPA: the bid also asks for the fleet’s SmartWay rank. Follow the link in the tag to EPA’s page, where the file with each fleet’s rank and emission rates is published.
- Report: add the carriers you choose to your watchlist. The next report you prepare shows in its SmartWay column which of them are listed.
What the tag tells you
- Kind of fleet: Truck carrier with EPA’s category for the fleet, such as TL/Dry Van, Refrigerated or Flatbed, or Logistics company. A carrier with several fleets in the file gets one tag that names each kind once.
- Data year: the year EPA’s figures describe. On October 11, 2026 the file held 2025 data for truck fleets and 2024 data for logistics companies.
- EPA’s page: a link to EPA’s SmartWay Carrier Performance Ranking, where each fleet’s rank and emission rates are published.
Who is missing from the list, and why
- Carriers outside the program: SmartWay is voluntary, so a carrier that has not joined is not in the file.
- Carriers that have not reported yet: EPA adds to the file through the year as carriers turn in their information.
- Fleets under another name or with no number: each row of the file is a fleet. Some rows carry a brand or a parent company’s name, and some carry no USDOT number.
CarrierTrail matches the file by USDOT number and shows a tag when the listed name agrees with the carrier’s name in the FMCSA census. On October 11, 2026, EPA’s file listed 4,467 fleets under 3,966 USDOT numbers; 3,883 of those numbers are in the FMCSA census, and 3,601 carry a tag in CarrierTrail because the listed name agrees with the census name.
So a carrier without the tag may still take part in SmartWay. EPA’s own page is the place to confirm it: EPA SmartWay Carrier Performance Ranking ↗
Questions brokers ask
How do I find SmartWay carriers for a lane?
Search the lane in the carrier locator by state, city or ZIP radius and switch on the SmartWay filter. Every result is a carrier whose USDOT number is in EPA’s SmartWay carrier performance file.
A carrier has no SmartWay tag. What does that mean?
Only that CarrierTrail did not find its USDOT number in EPA’s file under a matching name. SmartWay is voluntary, and some fleets are in the file without a USDOT number or under a brand name.
How current is the SmartWay listing?
CarrierTrail checks EPA’s file every day. The figures in the file describe an earlier year: on October 11, 2026 it held 2025 data for truck fleets and 2024 data for logistics companies.
Does a listing mean EPA endorses the carrier?
No. A listing is not an EPA endorsement. It shows that the fleet is in the file EPA publishes for SmartWay.
Which plans include the SmartWay filter and report column?
Starter and Team. The tag also shows in the free lookup.