Estes, the largest, privately owned freight carrier in North America, has added its first zero-emission electric Class 8 tractors to its nationwide fleet. The battery-operated trucks will service some of the company’s West Coast operations through its terminal in Banning, California. The 12 eCascadia trucks, manufactured by Freightliner, can travel roughly 230 miles on a single charge, making them ideal for local pickup and delivery assignments.

The addition of electric trucks to Estes’ fleet marks another important step in its sustainability initiatives. Estes also has 300 electric forklifts, accounting for 10% of its total forklift numbers, and two electric yard jockeys to relocate trailers within a terminal and lot.

“At Estes, we seek out opportunities to test and incorporate equipment that will help us reduce our carbon footprint. We’re thrilled to begin including electric trucks into our fleet and look forward to adding more, as availability and infrastructure allows,” said Sara Graf, vice president of sustainability, culture, and communications at Estes. “This EV initiative is just one more way that Estes is focusing on sustainability and the environment.”

“It’s fair to say these EV trucks caught our drivers by surprise in how much they enjoyed operating them, all of whom noted how quiet, smooth and agile they were,” said Michael Haynes, Banning terminal manager. “It’s exciting to see Estes continue investing in and testing promising, new technologies and equipment that allow us to serve our customers to the best of our ability.”