PHOENIX, Dec. 26,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Box® Load Share is
the Best in Biz Awards gold winner for the Most Environmentally
Friendly Service of the Year.
The green U-Haul® program also won two silver awards
for Most Innovative Service of the Year and Consumer Service of the
Year. The three designations for U-Box Load Share earned U-Haul
placement on the Most Awarded Companies list for 2023.
Best in Biz is the only independent business awards program
judged by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier
publications in North America.
"We are thrilled to be recognized for U-Box Load Share," stated
Sam Shoen, U-Box Program Director.
"For more than 78 years, U-Haul has been the customer's top choice
for moving solutions. Now we have a safe, collaborative way to
eliminate many of the stressors associated with moving
long-distance. U-Box Load Share provides clear benefits for the
environment and consumer while offering a sensible solution in
today's gig economy."
The unique thing about U-Box Load Share is that it is not
intended nor designed to make U-Haul a profit. It was created to
facilitate people helping people.
When a Load Share is performed,
families moving their belongings in a U-Haul truck agree
to tow a trailer loaded with another family's U-Box moving
container to the same destination city. Each transaction is
monitored and managed by centralized U-Haul personnel. A vetting
process is used to pre-select potential candidates with priority on
those customers with previous rental truck and towing experience.
The program allows for a discount to rental truck
customers whose only option is a do-it-yourself move
while offering
cost savings on shipping for U-Box customers.
"U-Haul is a shared-use business," said Allan Yang, U-Haul Chief Sustainability Officer
and Scientist. "Our shared-use products and services not only
address the challenges of resource efficiency, but also cultivate a
sense of community among our sustainability stakeholders.
"By pooling resources and optimizing the towing capacity of
trucks, U-Box Load Share brings forth a paradigm shift towards
sustainable and shared mobility. Our truck-share model
exemplifies the power of collaboration, mitigating the
environmental footprint associated with individual ownership and
contributing to a greener future. This award underscores the U-Haul
commitment to sustainability, decarbonization and innovation that
redefines our industry."
U-Box Load Share is the latest in a long line of environmentally
friendly initiatives at U-Haul. These sustainability practices
include the Company's core model of having communities share a
moving truck or trailer rather than individuals needing to own
trucks and large-capacity vehicles to transport their belongings;
U-Haul Adaptive Reuse, a program for preserving and repurposing
existing buildings for new stores rather than engaging in teardowns
and ground-up projects with each acquisition, thus reducing carbon
emissions and the need for new-building materials (about 70% of
U-Haul-owned facilities are the result of Adaptive Reuse); U-Haul
truck modifications to incorporate a low profile, rounded corners
and advanced chassis skirts to reduce wind drag and improve fuel
economy up to 20% (in addition to fuel economy gauges in every
new-production U-Haul truck); and green products like plastic
U-Haul Ready-To-Go Boxes® that get shared hundreds
of times before being recycled.
The 13th annual Best in Biz Awards included more than 600
entries from public and private companies, representing all
industries and regions across the U.S. and Canada. The judges highlighted the winning
companies' breadth and depth of innovation, their novel approaches
to employing new technologies, impressive workplace benefits and
employee diversity and inclusion programs, as well as continued
community involvement and critical investments in environment and
corporate social responsibility programs.
Referencing U-Box Load Share's three awards, the judging panel
wrote: "The moving industry has traditionally been a huge waste
generator and U-Haul proves it can become more sustainable and
greener. The judges were impressed with U-Haul Company's new
service's focus on sustainability and reducing fuel use, vehicle
miles traveled and emissions. The cost savings for customers – but
particularly, the emissions saved for the planet – have been truly
impressive."
U-Box Load Share was awarded the 2022 Sustainability Service of
the Year by The Business Intelligence Group while also being
honored as a PR News 2022 Social Impact Awards finalist.
Find all 2023 Best in Biz Awards categories and winners at
bestinbizawards.com/2023-winners.
About U-HAUL
Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of
do-it-yourself movers with more than 23,000 rental locations across
all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The enhanced U-Haul app
makes it easier for customers to use U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 to
access trucks anytime through the self-dispatch and self-return
options on their smartphones through our patented Live Verify
technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet
to grow to 192,200 trucks, 138,500 trailers and 44,500 towing
devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in
North America with 967,000
rentable units and 83.3 million square feet of self-storage space
at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the top retailer of
propane in the U.S. and the largest installer of permanent trailer
hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. We were recently
named one of America's Best Large Employers (Forbes, 2023); a Best
for Vets Employer (Military Times, 2022); and one of the Healthiest
Workplaces in America (Healthiest Employers, 2022). Find careers
at uhauljobs.com. Get the U-Haul app from
the App
Store or Google Play.
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
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SOURCE U-Haul International