Hirschbach Motor Lines and Lineage Logistics recently deployed five Orange EV electric yard trucks to Lineage facilities in the greater Kansas City area as another step in the companies’ sustainability journeys.
Hirschbach is providing zero-emission spotting services for two Lineage facilities in Kansas. An industry leader in freight supply chain efficiency, Hirschbach has won multiple EPA SmartWay Excellence Awards, in part by aggressively reducing empty route miles and idling time to reduce emissions and maximize fuel economy, the companies said.
“The Spot by Hirschbach team has been focused on bringing technology into the customer yards that we service, and Orange EV’s electric yard trucks are an exciting next step for us to continue to do the right thing for our customer, our driver team, and the environment,” Kevin Lage, Hirschbach’s senior director for its commercial team, said in a news release. “Our goal is to have 20% of our spotter fleet converted to EV by Q3 of 2023.”
With its core business devoted to storing, handling, and transporting temperature-controlled food products in the United States, Lineage has long been focused on energy efficiency, the company said. It participates in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership and also has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for four consecutive years, receiving a Better Project Award in 2022. Carbon reductions go hand-in-hand with decreases in energy consumption, and each of Lineage’s “Million Little Things” efforts add up, helping to meet their Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
“As the world’s leading temperature-controlled industrial REIT and logistics solutions provider, Lineage plays a significant role in the global food supply chain. Accordingly, we have and always will take our commitment to sustainability seriously,” said Jim Thompson, vice president of transportation and logistics at Lineage.
“We are proud to partner with companies like Hirschbach and Orange EV to further reduce our carbon emissions.”
Orange EV trucks utilize electricity, the most carbon efficient vehicle fuel on the market today, and have a maximum powertrain efficiency of more than 90%. At the Lineage sites in Kansas, Hirschbach operates Orange EV yard trucks up to 20 hours a day, six days a week. Under these heavy-use conditions, switching from diesel to electric eliminates more than 100 tons of carbon dioxide per truck annually along with diesel particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants emitted as a result of diesel combustion.
“Increasing supply chain efficiency can sometimes require considerable reimagining of operations,” said Zack Ruderman, Orange EV VP of sales and marketing. “Switching to electric yard trucks, however, can be a seamless transition. We are proud to work with fleets like Hirschbach and Lineage who embrace innovation, are committed to the environment, and understand the myriad benefits of electric operation.”
To further reduce carbon emissions, Lineage has deployed 10 additional Orange EV yard trucks at sites in California. Five of those Lineage-owned units operate at the Lineage Colton-Agua Mansa facility, which is the first facility in the Lineage network able to produce 100% of its energy consumption onsite.
