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1 This handbook is intended to be used by freight transportation professionals and other stake- holders who are interested in reducing the air quality impacts of freight transportation. The handbook is applicable to freight carriers (truck, rail, air, marine), shippers, logistics providers, and intermodal freight transfer facilities (marine ports, airports). It describes how benchmark- ing can be used as a management tool to improve environmental performance in freight trans- portation. Organizations that systematically measure their performance, compare themselves to industry leaders, and develop strategies to improve operations can gain substantial ben- efits from improving their environmental performance. This resource provides a step-by-step overview of the benchmarking process and describes a framework for applying this process to freight carriers, shippers, and freight hubs. This handbook addresses air emissions at several different levels, including vehicle fleets, facilities, organizations, and transportation corridors. This document is organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 provides this introduction. Chap- ter 2 discusses the air quality impacts of freight transport. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the benchmarking process and the benefits of benchmarking. Chapter 4 reviews each step in the benchmarking process. Chapter 5 provides an overview of the benchmarking framework used to analyze freight transportation. Chapter 6 discusses benchmarking approaches and metrics for each sector. Chapter 7 addresses general implementation issues that are applicable across all sectors. There are three appendices. Appendix A is a glossary of terms. Appendix B provides a list of existing benchmarking programs relevant to the freight industry. Appendix C is a list of resources for those looking for more information on environmental benchmarking for freight transportation. C h a p t e r 1 Introduction