Incident2026-10-15

United Natural Foods uses hedging to lock in diesel prices. It also uses Samsara, an AI platform, to optimize delivery routes. The platform covers nearly 50 distribution centers and 2,000 vehicles. Diesel prices reached $6.18 per gallon, up $2.51 year over year. Hedging keeps fuel cost exposure predictable for investors. Samsara helps cut unnecessary miles and improve delivery efficiency. UNFI presented these tactics at a Goldman Sachs conference on Sept. 15. The Iran war drove the diesel price surge this year.

What changed

UNFI relied on traditional cost management without AI route optimization.

What it unlocks

Reducing miles traveled and improving delivery efficiency across its fleet.

  • $6.18 per gallon on-highway diesel
  • $2.51 year-over-year increase
  • 50 distribution centers
  • 2,000 delivery vehicles

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