At our Surrey Distribution Center, we recently began a journey towards a cleaner, greener operation by conducting an electric shunt truck trial. As part of looking into adopting an electric shunt truck into our logistics fleet, we borrowed one to try out.
“It is really exciting to do a trial with this emerging technology. We were fortunate that Seaspan Ferries was able to lend us this unit for a trial,” says John Dumbovic, Manager of Transportation and Logistics who initiated this trial. “These EV shunt trucks do the same work using much less energy with minimal C02 emissions. This trial gives us a good understanding of the utility of these EVs and that they can operated in this industrial environment.”
Seaspan Ferries, who are one of the first companies on the west coast to use electric shunt trucks, imported the trucks from Sweden. Currently, Seaspan is in the trial phase of incorporating electric shunt trucks into their operations, having ordered two units.
Our SDC truck drivers are excited about this shift, as electric shunt trucks have increased power but quieter performance. Overall, it was easier to operate than traditional shunt trucks.
While the initial investment in EV shunt trucks may be higher, we do recognize the substantial long-term benefits they offer. Beyond the environmental advantages, these electric shunt trucks require less maintenance compared to a diesel truck therefore it is a reduced operational cost over time.
Electric shunt trucks are considered new within the industry. It is an emerging technology, as of today there are not a lot of alternatives. Paper Excellence employees are excited that we might be early adopters of this sustainable technology. With electric vehicles needing to be charged, the range of the vehicle is always a considering factor. However, because we only use shunt trucks in a closed application, it’s not a major factor.
Paper Excellence is committed to discovering processes that align with sustainability. We are continuously exploring innovative ways to optimize our equipment and processes to minimize our environmental impact.