Safeway Fleet to Fill Tires with Nitrogen

PHOENIX - Grocery retailer Safeway Inc. said it will begin inflating its truck and trailer fleet tires with nitrogen instead of compressed air, according to Transport Topics.

"Nitrogen is a smart alternative to compressed air; it keeps tires at a consistent pressure, which directly impacts blowouts and other tire-related issues that reduce the productivity of our trucks," Brea Gifford, truck repair manager for Safeway in Tempe, Ariz., told TT.

Safeway plans to use nitrogen tire inflation in about 80 tractors and 320 trailers, the company said in a joint statement with NitrogenMan, the Phoenix-based company that will supply Safeway with nitrogen for its tires.

Safeway, also based in Phoenix, expects to use nitrogen fleetwide by August, reports TT.