Hub Group begins electric truck fleet pilot

Today, Hub Group began its electric truck fleet pilot with Daimler Trucks of North America as part of Freightliner’s Customer Experience (CX) Fleet. This will be part of a six-month test in Southern California across a variety of freight environments and conditions in both dedicated and drayage freight operations.

“This test is an exciting next step in our innovation and sustainability journey,” said Phil Yeager, Hub Group President and Chief Operating Officer. “It is part of Hub Group’s long-term strategy to bring to market innovation that has a meaningful impact on our customers’ businesses and reduce the supply chain’s impact on the environment.”

The Freightliner eCascadia pilot will operate seven days per week over the six-month test. Hub Group engineers will analyze performance across multiple data points including range, payload, traffic conditions, charging scenarios, maintenance, and safety.

“It’s critical that we collaborate with customers across multiple segments to further our understanding of how commercial battery-electric trucks will be part of a long-term solution in CO₂-neutral transportation,” said Richard Howard, senior vice president, on-highway sales and marketing, Daimler Trucks North America. “Our customers provide important, continuous feedback that contributes to our ongoing design and purposeful innovation of these trucks, and together we will lead the future.”

Over its 50 years, Hub Group has a long-standing commitment to innovation and sustainability. The company was the first transportation provider to fully equip its fleet of 44,000 intermodal containers with GPS tracking and telematics devices, delivering advanced visibility and security into their customer’s supply chains. Striving to reduce its impact on the environment, Hub Group transports its customers’ goods in the most efficient way possible. In 2020, the company saved an estimated 3.2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

Hub Group’s sustainability practices have earned industry recognition, including multiple EPA SmartWay Excellence awards. Its commitment to minimizing its carbon footprint extends to its corporate headquarters, which is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified.

The Freightliner CX Fleet is supported and partially funded by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), which focuses on improving air quality in the South Coast Basin of Southern California.