PLANO, Texas — Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) has partnered with Schneider National Inc. to complete its first-ever third-party shipment using an electric vehicle.
According to a news release, the shipment was made using Schneider’s electric truck fleet of Freightliner eCascadias.
“Today’s milestone shipment underscores the importance of cross-industry collaboration in building a more sustainable food system and achieving Frito-Lay and PepsiCo Positive’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2040,” said David Allen, vice president and chief sustainability officer, PepsiCo Foods North America.
PepsiCo is FLNA’s parent company.
“As a company with massive scale, Frito-Lay looks for opportunities to create positive change, but we can’t do it alone,” Allen added. “By working with Schneider, we are taking an important step forward in our efforts to reduce value chain emissions and move our snack products in a more sustainable way.”
An emissions reduction of more than 70% is expected this year from the initial EV routes, versus the same shipments on diesel trucks, which is equivalent to eliminating more than 180,000 miles driven by gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road, the news release noted.
Initial shipments on Schneider’s growing Freightliner eCascadia fleet will be intermodal inbound and outbound dray moves in southern California, including service to Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga distribution center.
“As we roll out our fleet of almost 100 new battery electric trucks, we’re thrilled to offer a cleaner mode of freight transportation to valued customers like Frito-Lay, who share our goal of operating in ways that are environmentally responsible,” said Rob Reich, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Schneider. “For decades, we have been committed to improving sustainability at Schneider, and we’re proud to now be able to positively impact our customers’ operations as well. Working together, we are decreasing the carbon footprint of shipments in southern California and making a positive difference.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I’d like to hear from the truck driver him/her directly. What went well and what didn’t go so well.