Fred Meyer Stores, a division of The Kroger Co., announced the arrival of its first 11 heavy-duty trucks that run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The food retail chain will receive a total of 40 LNG trucks over the next several months, making Fred Meyer the first company in Oregon to deploy a fleet of heavy-duty LNG trucks, according to Clean Energy Fuels Corp., which will provide both the LNG fuel and fueling infrastructure.

The new LNG trucks will replace 40 diesel trucks currently in use, and will deliver product to Fred Meyer stores as far south as Corvallis, Ore., and as far north as Longview, Wash. Some of the 40 diesel trucks will be used to replace older, less efficient diesel trucks in the fleet.

The trucks will average approximately 175 miles per day, six days a week, 52 weeks a year. According to Clean Energy, they are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 755 metric tons per year, which equates to removing approximately 159 passenger cars from the road annually. The trucks are manufactured at Freightliner’s North Carolina plant.

The fleet will be fueled at a new, private LNG fueling station at Fred Meyer’s Clackamas, Ore.-based distribution center, which has been designed and engineered by Clean Energy. In addition, Clean Energy will supply the liquefied natural gas for the fueling station, and once all 40 trucks are active, Clean Energy will supply the approximately one million gallons a year needed to service them.