Schneider Is the First Major Carrier to Achieve One Million Zero Emission Miles With the Freightliner Ecascadia

Schneider National, Inc. is not only carving its niche as a leading transportation and logistics provider but also sets impressive environmental milestones. An announcement this week revealed its battery electric vehicle (BEV) fleet successfully delivered over 1 million zero-emission miles of customer freight. Their Southern California Intermodal Operations Center is one of North America’s largest BEV fleets, boasting almost 100 Freightliner eCascadias and a sizable charging depot. Since the initiation of their first electric trucks this January, they have grown the fleet to 94 electric vehicles, encompassing 92 battery electric trucks and two electric yard spotters. Remarkably, Schneider’s eCascadias have avoided an estimated 3.3 million pounds of CO2 emissions, mirroring the effect of taking over 330 gas-fueled passenger vehicles off the road for a full year. Schneider hauls freight for major brands, including Goodyear, Frito-Lay North America, and many others.

“We are driven by our commitment to sustainability and innovation to be one of the first carriers to embrace electric as a powerful solution for hauling freight,” said Schneider President and CEO Mark Rourke. “We believe in a future where clean technology helps transform the way we move goods and reduces our environmental footprint while still delivering on our promises of efficiency and reliability for customers. This milestone is just the first of many.”

“Frito-Lay’s strides in eliminating Scope 3 emissions were exemplified this year through our first-ever third-party electric vehicle shipment with Schneider,” said PepsiCo Foods North America Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer David Allen. “As the first to contract transport on Schneider’s eCascadia fleet, our collaboration serves as a blueprint for how Frito-Lay and PepsiCo are working alongside our transportation partners to build a sustainable food system and reach our PepsiCo Positive net-zero emissions goal by 2040.”

Schneider’s accomplishment of reaching 1 million zero-emission miles with the eCascadia was not achieved in isolation. The company collaborated closely with Freightliner’s parent organization, Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), throughout the development of the eCascadia. This partnership was cemented with a six-month pilot program in 2020-2021 via the Freightliner Customer Experience Fleet. It was a profound learning experience, offering invaluable insights into the potential of electric trucks and the necessary infrastructure. Today, this successful collaboration and persistent pursuit of sustainability have culminated in Schneider becoming the first-ever company to clock 1 million zero-emission miles with the eCascadia. This milestone is a significant leap forward in the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future in transportation.

“Three years ago, we tested the Freightliner eCascadia with Schneider in real-world test applications, and now they have already delivered goods on 1 million fully electric miles with their electric fleet. This is an important milestone, not just for Schneider, but for the industry as a whole,” said DTNA Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Carson. “Not only that, but clean transportation in the form of zero emission trucks on the road brings our society closer to a better future.”

The South El Monte charging site is indeed an impressive setup, featuring 16 350 kW dual-corded dispensers. This innovative design allows the carrier to charge 32 trucks simultaneously. It’s worth noting that the eCascadias can achieve an 80% charge within just 90 minutes and have a typical driving range of approximately 220 miles. These zero-emission trucks play a pivotal role in Schneider’s progress toward its ambitious sustainability goals, which include reducing per-mile emissions by 7.5% by 2025 and a whopping 60% by 2035. Incredibly, Schneider is already more than halfway to realizing its 2025 goal. To commemorate the remarkable achievement of 1 million zero-emission miles, Schneider President and CEO, Mark Rourke, had the honor of ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Tuesday, November 21.

Funding for 50 of Schneider’s 92 eCascadias was made possible by the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI), a remarkable collaborative project. This was the first battery electric truck project to be jointly funded by the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission. The funding for the additional 42 trucks, which fall outside the ambit of JETSI, comes from various sources. Five of these trucks are jointly funded by the U.S. EPA FY18 Targeted Airshed Grant and the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP). Additionally, seven trucks have been funded through the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust. Lastly, but certainly not least, the remaining 30 trucks are directly funded by HVIP. These diverse funding sources reflect a broad-based commitment to advancing the cause of sustainable transportation.

For information on Schneider’s fleet sustainability initiatives, visit: https://schneider.com/company/corporate-responsibility.