Kroger reports fleet efficiency up 9.75%

   U.S. grocery chain Kroger increased its fleet efficiency by 9.75 percent in the past year, reaching a 25.5 percent improvement compared to 2008 figures, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
   The Kroger 2012 Sustainability Report said the company uses transportation management systems to improve the use of its store delivery and inbound fleets. Part of this usage is the addition of on-board computers that allow real-time tracking of vehicles as they are en route to stores.
   The company said this allows a driver to be “more effective and make the appropriate adjustments when necessary to protect on-time deliveries.”
   Kroger currently operates a fleet of 2,700 tractors and 10,000 trailers to make 5,400 daily deliveries. It said the trucks traveled about 297 million miles in 2011.
   The company also cited its ability to reduce empty haulage miles through collaboration with various fleet vendor partners. Kroger reduced empty miles by 1.6 percent in 2011, reaching a total decrease of 3.4 percent compared to 2008’s numbers. It said it’s on track to reduce empty miles by 10 percent by the end of 2014. – Geoff Whiting