PLANO, TEXAS — Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., has come a long way since putting its first compressed natural gas (C.N.G.) vehicles into service back in 2011. The company on Aug. 4 announced its C.N.G. truck fleet has logged more than 100 million miles driven on routes across the United States over the past six years.
Frito-Lay placed 16 C.N.G. freight trucks into service back in 2011, and today it has more than 500 vehicles, representing more than 35% of the company’s long-haul inventory. C.N.G. freight trucks emit 23% less greenhouse gas (G.H.G.) tailpipe emissions than the diesel freight trucks they replace, according to Frito-Lay.
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| Michael O'Connell, senior director of the supply chain for Frito-Lay |
“Increasing the efficiency of our vehicle fleet is a key component of achieving PepsiCo’s overall goal to reduce G.H.G. emissions,” said Michael O'Connell, senior director of supply chain, Frito-Lay. “Alternative fuel solutions like Frito-Lay’s use of C.N.G. freight trucks are an important piece of our overall strategy, helping us reduce our environmental footprint, meet changing consumer needs and thrive in today’s economy.”
Frito-Lay said it is a major customer at the 16 C.N.G. public fueling stations that are located around the United States. The fueling stations not only provide fuel for Frito-Lay C.N.G. freight trucks, but they also make fuel available for other companies currently using or considering alternative fuel vehicles.
Frito-Lay operates the seventh largest commercial fleet in the United States with approximately 22,000 vehicles, including everything from cargo vans up to Class 8 tractor-trailers. The Frito-Lay vehicle fleet is comprised of several different fuel-efficient models, including electric vehicle route trucks, C.N.G. freight trucks and advanced diesel technology. As a result of this comprehensive approach to fleet efficiency, Frito-Lay said it has reduced its diesel fuel use by more than 30% from 2008 to 2015.
