Pitt Ohio Express Headquarters

When Pitt Ohio committed to building a trucking terminal in Harmar Township, near Pittsburgh, the company also made a commitment to go green. LEED certification for its new facilities complements Pitt Ohio’s efforts to maintain a high-performing and efficient trucking fleet.

The project uses renewable solar and wind energy with a 60kw photovoltaic array and a WindStax Turbine. The energy cost savings, when all forms of innovation are taken into account, are over 45% when compared to a conventional building. This renewable energy is stored with non-toxic battery storage, creating energy resiliency for the terminal. The 55,000 square foot terminal, responsible for servicing the Pittsburgh region, utilizes a low-emitting Energy Star roof. 150 LED lights are used in replacement of incandescent, saving about $2,000 a year in electricity. A geothermal well was put in place to utilize the Earth’s temperature as a heat source in the winter and a heat sink in the summer.

The Pittsburgh area Terminal is the site’s second LEED Gold certified building. The 22,000 square foot Maintenance Shop Building located on the same campus received Gold distinction in late 2016. This is the nation’s first trucking terminal with multiple LEED buildings, both of which are certified Gold.

The entire site uses sustainable landscaping including bioswales, or man-made elements placed to remove pollutants and dirt from runoff, and drought tolerant native plants to cut down on water usage and prevent flooding. Low-flow appliances and fixtures are also projected to save over 30% of the water that conventional fixtures would use otherwise.

In addition to more than 70% of the Harmar Terminal buildings being made of recycled materials, the Terminal also features low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, locally-mined bricks, low-flow faucets, waterless urinals, LED lighting, and plenty of natural light from the buildings’ large windows. The office and interior areas also include CO2 sensors, ergonomic furniture and responsive HVAC in order to enhance the comfort of employees and visitors.

evolveEA assisted PITT OHIO with early goal setting and visioning, LEED management and ongoing advisement for both buildings. The project has been cited as a leading example for the trucking industry. In 2016, evolveEA Principal, Marc Mondor, and PITT OHIO’s Director of Building Maintenance and Property Management, Jim Maug, were invited to speak about sustainability in trucking at the American Trucking Association’s Technology and Maintenance Council’s (TMC) annual conference. We described the early goal-setting process facilitated by evolveEA at the outset of the project, which led to the integration of sustainability strategies into the project design. These early sessions, incorporating input from all Pitt Ohio top executives, set the tone for the Project and influenced the company’s overall building operations.

LEED certification has been a useful third-party structure for PITT OHIO and their project team to strategically set and meet goals in building and operating their facilities. The Pittsburgh area Terminal serves as a model for the company’s next green trucking terminal, which is currently under construction in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area and will also be targeting LEED certification and renewable energy production.