Dive Brief:
- US Foods will add 30 electric trucks to its fleet as part of its plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions 32.5% by 2032.
- The company said it will add the EVs by 2023, though didn’t specify which company would supply the trucks. US Foods will continue to expand its EV fleet to reduce its Scope 1 emissions, it said.
- The food distributor also plans to lower emissions by reducing miles driven and deploying new vehicle technology. Additionally, the company is investing in alternative fuels such as renewable natural gas and renewable diesel.
Dive Insight:
US Foods has been making a host of investments in its fleet to enhance efficiency and sustainability.
In May, the company launched a delivery route optimization initiative to reduce idling and wasted miles by remapping routes to the most efficient distribution center by mileage and service. The change has already led to a roughly 10% improvement in case volumes per mile in the company’s leading markets compared to the same period in 2019.
“These ongoing investments are a testament to our dedication to reducing our organization’s environmental footprint,” said Kristin Coleman, executive vice president, general counsel and leader of corporate social responsibility at US Foods. “The expansion of our facility and fleet efficiency initiatives are a critical part of US Foods’ long-range sustainability plans to drive end-to-end change.”
The distributor's efforts are in line with industry competitors including Sysco, which plans to electrify 35% of its private fleet by 2030. In May, the company announced its plans to buy up to 800 electric Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 tractors from Daimler to support the goal.
