Electric Truckers Love Their Rigs, But Employers Don't Love The Costs

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The trucking industry seems like the perfect transportation sector to be electrified. Despite comprising only a tiny percentage of the national delivery and freight fleet, EV truck drivers love working with their vehicles. However, the move isn’t universally desirable for employers who have to cover the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle fleet and installing charging infrastructure.

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The biggest selling points of electrification for drivers are quietness and smooth operation. It’s a workplace where they spend hours at a time behind the wheel of a large, lumbering machine. The Washington Post interviewed several EV truck drivers and none of them want to return to internal combustion at work:

Marty Boots, a 66-year-old driver for Schneider in South El Monte, Calif., appreciates the lightness and the smoothness of his Freightliner eCascadia semi-truck. “Diesel was like a college wrestler,” he said. “And the electric is like a ballet dancer.”

Boots, who also trains other drivers on how to optimize the battery in the electric truck, said some drivers were hesitant when first trying out the technology. But once they try it, he said, most are sold. “You get back into diesel and it’s like, ‘What’s wrong with this thing?’” he said. “Why is it making so much noise? Why is it so hard to steer?”

“Everyone who has had an EV has no aspirations to go back to diesel at this point,” said Khari Burton, who drives an electric Volvo VNR in the Los Angeles area for transport company IMC. “We talk about it and it’s all positivity. I really enjoy the smoothness … and just the quietness as well.”

Shipping companies are far more hesitant to place orders for more electric trucks. An IMC executive told the newspaper that electric trucks are limited to routes shorter than 25 miles from port to a warehouse because of reliability concerns. IMC claims the lack of qualified technicians means a problem with an EV truck could have it out of service for three weeks, necessitating the use of a replacement truck.

The push for electrification in the sector will likely require more enticing government incentives along with the praise of current drivers. Be sure to read the entire article here.