US Foods recently added new sustainability initiatives intended to support the company’s ongoing commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its delivery fleet.
The company plans to convert fleet fuel at all California broadline distribution centers from traditional diesel fuel to renewable diesel (RD) fuel by mid-2022. In addition, US Foods said it will add 30 electric trucks to its La Mirada, Calif., distribution center by the end of 2023.
These efforts build on the company’s existing environmental sustainability programs. US Foods previously reported a 7.3% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions intensity since 2015 and a 6.9% reduction in gallons of fuel used per case delivered.
“At US Foods, delivering products by truck is core to our business and we continually work to improve the transportation efficiency of our fleet,” said Gautam Grover, senior vice president of operations excellence for US Foods. “Fleet sustainability projects like our RD fuel conversions and electric truck integrations directly contribute to our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and we look forward to expanding these efforts.”
US Foods is one of the early adopters of RD fuel use within the foodservice industry, successfully converting 100% of the fleet fuel used at its Vista, Calif., distribution center to RD fuel in 2021. RD fuel is a more sustainable alternative to traditional diesel with a more than 65% lower carbon intensity rating. By the end of the month, the company says it will complete three additional broadline distribution center RD fuel conversions at its Corona, Livermore, and La Mirada, Calif., locations. The company also intends to utilize RD fuel at its newest distribution center in Sacramento, which is expected to open later this year.
The La Mirada onsite fueling station will provide RD fuel to one of US Foods’ largest localized fleets that services restaurants, hospitals, and other foodservice operators across the West Coast. In addition to these conversions to RD fuel, US Foods will introduce 15 electric trucks to its La Mirada fleet this year with plans underway to install smart charging infrastructure at the facility to accommodate an additional 15 electric trucks by the end of 2023. This effort will be one of the largest single-site deployments of electric trucks across the foodservice distribution industry, the company said.
To learn more about US Foods’ sustainability efforts, click here.
