GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —Meijer has been recognized as a SmartWay Excellence Award winner as a mixed carrier by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the third year in a row

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer’s fleet is the only four-time recipient of the distinct honor nationwide in the mixed carrier category, said Tom McCall, vice president of Logistics for Meijer.

“We are honored to, once again, receive such a distinguished award that recognizes our logistics team as an industry leader for sustainability,” McCall said. “It’s important to Meijer that we do the right thing, which is why our fleet is committed to reducing our carbon footprint, sharing the road with other drivers, and delivering products to our stores 26 times a week.”

The SmartWay Excellence Award is the EPA’s highest recognition. It recognizes the top retail and manufacturing carriers and shippers that demonstrate how their logistical operations make a measurable difference in reducing carbon emissions, while also effectively managing fuel costs as they move goods around the country. SmartWay Excellence Awardees lead their industries in improving freight efficiency and contributing to cleaner air within their supply chains.

Meijer operates one of the largest standalone fleets in Michigan with 250 semi-trucks and nearly 400 drivers. Overall, the retailer has a network of 750 trucks that cover more than 1.3 million miles per week – that’s more in 3 days than the average person drives in a lifetime.

Meijer has made significant improvements in reducing the fleet’s carbon emissions, including the installation of telematics to maintain quality and temperature control in the trucks’ refrigeration systems. The trucks all have alarm and communications systems that alert the drivers to temperature changes. The retailer also leads the industry for backhauling product to its distribution facilities to reduce empty miles on the road.

Additionally, the Meijer fleet is committed to safety and is focused on implementing safety technology into its semi-trucks with the addition of side radar. The collision mitigation system is standard in the Meijer fleet that gives visibility in the semi-trucks’ blind spots.

After working as a truck driver for 6 years, Debora Haas appreciates the efforts Meijer puts in to ensure its drivers and environment are protected.

“One thing that I like about our trucks with the clean energy technology is that with older trucks, you get a lot of diesel fuels in the cab and with these trucks you don’t, which makes a big difference for the driver. It feels just like driving a normal car,” she said. “This shows that the company pays attention to what we (drivers) have to deal with every day. Some companies just want you to run their product, but they don’t care about what the employees need. Meijer really cares about what its employees need and want.”

To watch a highlight video about the Meijer fleet, please click here, and to review an infographic on the fleet’s key successes, please click here.