Drayage company Tradelink Transport has acquired 14 new Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 semis for its operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The company currently operates a fleet of 48 trucks, of which 21 run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and 12 on diesel.
The company’s new battery-electric semis will operate within a 100-mile radius of their depots, moving goods to and from the San Bernardino and Riverside areas in the mornings and running shorter routes in the afternoons, Clean Trucking’s Jay Traugott reports. Tradelink says the EVs will operate five to six days a week, and will be charged overnight.
“Once drivers experience battery-electric trucks, they often don’t want to switch back to conventional vehicles,” said Tradelink President Rigoberto Cea. “The Volvo VNR Electric truck provides a smooth, quiet ride, and we’ve seen strong enthusiasm from our team as they adapt to this new technology.”
“Transitioning to battery-electric trucks represents a major shift in business operations and demands collaboration and meticulous planning,” said Peter Voorhoeve, President of Volvo Trucks North America. “We are grateful to Tradelink Transport for placing their trust in Volvo Trucks and our comprehensive electromobility ecosystem to partner with them on the shift towards zero.”
Tradelink bought its Volvo Trucks through dealer TEC Equipment, which provided assistance in route planning and helped make sure the hauler took full advantage of California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) and other state programs that offer rebates for charging infrastructure construction costs.
Source: Volvo, Clean Trucking
