Although tires aren’t always the first items distributors think of when optimizing delivery and fuel efficiency, their role in getting cases safely and cost-effectively from points A to B cannot be overstated.
The company debuted its latest near-zero natural gas engine technology, super-efficient diesel engines and shared its plans to introduce what it says will be a “revolutionary” heavy-duty diesel engine in 2022.
Beverage Industry conducted its fifth annual fleet survey earlier this year to get the latest data on the size and makeup of current delivery fleets, as well as operational concerns and strategies. As with years past, the survey offers the publication an opportunity to see which operations are having the greatest impact on beverage fleets.
One of the best ways to reduce exhaust emissions and cut fuel costs obviously is to burn less fuel. Although fuel prices have substantially decreased in the past few years and have largely stabilized for now, beverage fleets remain proactive about reducing their fuel consumption. Between route/load optimization and updates to the latest drivetrain technology, the low-hanging fuel-economy fruit has been thoroughly harvested. Among the more common fuel saving strategies reported is the use of factory-installed idle shut-down timers to reduce unnecessary engine idling.
As a small company growing at 20 percent a year in a narrowly specialized segment of the beverage distribution business, Nampa, Idaho-based Idaho Springs Water succeeds by controlling costs in every corner of its fleet operations, including vehicle acquisition and maintenance, routing optimization, and fuel costs.
Whether its craft beer, imported bottled water, cold-pressed juices or any of the other premium beverages gaining traction, market analysts have highlighted that consumers are willing to pay a premium price if they feel they are getting value-added benefits from a product.