Asda on Track to Achieve Sustainability Goals with Greener, Quieter Fleet

Asda, one of the United Kingdom’s leading retailers, recently purchased low noise whisper units from Thermo King, a manufacturer of transport temperature control solutions for a variety of mobile applications and a brand of Ingersoll Rand. Features of the selected SLXe Spectrum Whisper™ units go hand in hand with the ambitious sustainability goals set by Asda.

In 2005 the retail company outlined specific goals to reduce its carbon footprint by the end of 2015. Since then, Asda has already made great strides in terms of improving its environmental performances, helping the company to lower operating costs.

Reducing emissions from transport operations by 60 percent is one of the goals Asda committed to achieve by end of 2015. To accomplish this goal, they were looking for refrigeration units with the lowest environmental impact possible, including low fuel consumption, reduced emissions and low sound levels. The Thermo King SLXe Spectrum Whisper™ unit for trailers ticked all the necessary boxes and more.

Thermo King supplied Asda with 16 SLXe Spectrum units featuring Whisper technology. These multi-temperature units are designed for operators who want to minimize environmental impact without compromising performance, capacity or cargo protection.

This market-leading solution is also ideally suited for distribution of goods and perishable products in an urban environment thanks to the factory-installed and proven components that significantly reduce sound levels.

Chris Hall, head of transport for Asda Logistics Services, said, “We are always looking for new specifications that can add value to our operations. This is a great example of new thinking that will support our sustainability agenda and also considers environmentally friendly deliveries in our urban areas. We are looking forward to seeing how these units perform.”

“Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important business factor and plays a significant role in our customers’ success,” said Steve Williams, UK sales manager at Thermo King. “Retailers need to move their products from the distribution centres to their store shelves. By using efficient, whisper-quiet refrigeration solutions like the Thermo King SLXe Spectrum unit, they can do it efficiently and meet sustainability and emission goals.”

Asda knows that a greener, quieter fleet is not just about investing in systems; it is also about investing in your drivers. In addition to the SLXe Spectrum units, drivers benefitted from the Thermo King Professor Kool training tool. This educational tool provides expert knowledge on how to operate refrigeration units while identifying best practices on loading and unloading, fuel consumption and other key focal points of refrigerated transport.

The SLXe Spectrum Whisper refrigeration units selected by Asda also utilize the Thermo King i-Box solution for improved communications. This protocol interpreter box connects directly to an open communication port on the Thermo King controller or data logger. The system enables third party remote communication allowing Asda to obtain information about the unit and its operation.

For more information, please contact Heidi McGuire.