Commercial, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  August 6, 2019

Best Transportation delivers with emission-free vehicle

Best Transportation has become the first trucking company to move a container from the Port of New York & New Jersey using an electric vehicle. The use of this type of vehicle is the first step in the company’s plan to increase the number of electric vehicles in its state-of-the-art fleet.

Using a fully electric class A tractor, on July 19 Best successfully picked up a container in Maher Terminal—located in Port Newark, NJ, where Best is headquartered—and delivered it to a Costco Wholesale location within New Jersey without incident. The company completed the test run as part of its ongoing sustainability program.

“Best Transportation is proud to be the first trucker to move a container through the Port of New York & New Jersey and deliver to a customer, with a zero-emissions vehicle. We made history today,” said Tom Heimgartner, president of Best Transportation, in a statement. “These are exciting times for our company; we are investing in the future. Not just the future of Best Transportation, but the future of our customers, the consumer and the Port of New York and New Jersey. This is just the first step in our zero-emission vehicle program. We are making every effort to reduce the carbon footprint of our company and our customers' supply chain. The future is here and it is at Best Transportation,” he continued.

The statement noted that it is still early on in the development of electric-powered class 8 heavy-duty over-the-road tractor-trailers. Unlike passenger vehicles, which have become viable and popular, Best explains, large trucks do not yet have the range or the amount of horsepower and torque required to move heavy loads. The company is purchasing and testing electronic vehicles (EVs) in order to stay ahead of the learning curve and be ready when the next generation becomes available.