Discussions and legislation about electric vehicle trucking are on the rise, but EV trucking as an industry reality is still miles away. In the meantime, advancements in fuel efficiency and clean diesel are helping clean up the industry and have contributed to a 98% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from new trucks in the last 30 years.
While we wait for EV technology and infrastructure to evolve to fully meet the demands of our interconnected global supply chain, the industry continues to focus on how to make our current practices more sustainable and efficient. At Shaker Logistics, we’ve invested in lots of technologies and best practices to help our clients meet their own ESG goals and move their freight with less impact on the environment.
Electric Trucks & Diesel Pumps
While short-haul vehicles like drayage trucks, delivery vans, and school buses can feasibly convert to electric without widespread disruption to operations, going electric with the long-haul / OTR trucking network is a more complicated ordeal.
3PLs are hauling critical goods on strict deadlines across the country every day, navigating driver timesheet regulations and fuel stops to make on-time deliveries. Fuel mileage plays a major role in route planning, and the differences between clean diesel trucks and current electric truck capabilities are stark:
| Fuel/Charging Time | Range on Full Tank/Charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Shaker’s Smartway Certified Clean Diesel Trucks | 15 minutes | ~1,200 miles |
| 2025 EV Technology | Up to 10 hours, 90 minutes for 80% range | Up to 500 miles |
The EV charging infrastructure in America can’t support frequent stops that OTR electric trucking would require, and the current battery range would add days to transit time. The EV battery itself is a heavy piece of equipment, and electric trucks have to run with around 5,000 fewer pounds of cargo to meet vehicle weight regulations. Between more time on the road and less freight capacity, shippers using electric trucks to haul goods would find themselves paying more per load and booking more trucks to move the same amount of freight.
EVs have the potential to transform the trucking industry and make a significant contribution to green initiatives around the world, but the technology and infrastructure need to improve before widespread implementation is possible. In the meantime, trucking companies are still taking sustainability measures with the technology we have readily available.
Sustainability in Efficiency
The most immediate way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to reduce fuel consumption. As a member of the Smartway Transportation Partnership, Shaker uses fuel-efficient technology and incentivizes efficient driving practices, allowing our fleet to be more sustainable. Over the last few years, our fleet management team has been replacing old equipment and investing in new trucks outfitted with top efficiency drive trains and aerodynamic body panels.
Shaker’s OTR trucks travel the most mileage, with drivers transporting customer freight across the country for weeks at a time. These trucks make up nearly half of Shaker’s fleet and are all equipped with anti-idle Auxiliary Power Units (APUs). Rather than idling the engine every few hours to climatize the cab while drivers are stopped overnight for breaks, APUs use battery power and save thousands of gallons of fuel a year. This enables drivers to stay safe and comfortable while minimizing environmental impact. We also incentivize efficient driving practices in our fleet, monitoring idle time and fuel efficiency remotely, to encourage drivers to be mindful of their fuel consumption.
After just a few years of these efforts, Shaker is already seeing major improvements in efficiency. Our fleet’s average fuel miles have gone from 7.0MPG to 7.7MPG, shrinking our annual carbon footprint by 63,636kg of CO2.
The trucking industry continues to make sustainable innovations that are affordable for shippers and 3PLs. Refrigerated trailers have temperature monitoring technology that also helps reduce fuel consumption, kicking the refrigeration unit on and off as needed to maintain a set temperature. Solar panels can be installed on truck roofs to charge APUs, further reducing idle emissions at truck stops.
The rapid pace of technological change over the last decade, when it comes to electric vehicles, will no doubt continue. As our sustainable infrastructure advances and the cost to carry freight on electric vehicles comes more in line with diesel, we’re excited to see how equipment options evolve to make hauling freight better for our planet.