Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) is working with Salem Carriers to electrify DTNA’s inbound logistics operations at the Salem Carriers hub near Charlotte, North Carolina. Daimler Truck Financial Services joined this partnership, along with Electrada, a fleet electrification solution company, to provide an all-in-one Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) solution at a fixed monthly rate to cover Salem’s electrification development, operation, charging infrastructure maintenance, and the energy contract costs.
“By addressing the charging infrastructure, we are able to better support zero-emission truck goals and ultimately unlock larger environmental and social-economic benefits,” said Stephan Unger, CEO Daimler Truck Financial Services. “This project is an important step in the DTFS transformation, from pure financial services to a complete service provider for the commercial vehicle industry.”
Salem Carriers, which services DTNA’s inbound logistics network in the Carolinas, deployed DTNA’s Freightliner eCascadia vehicles for daily inbound logistics routes. They worked with Electrada and DTFS to electrify their logistics depot.
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Salem’s program includes deployment, ownership, operation, and energy management for its fleet charging infrastructure at Salem’s Statesville, North Carolina depot, as well as en-route charging at the Duke Energy/Electrada mobility microgrid in Mt. Holly, North Carolina. DTFS facilitated the process by integrating the electric vehicle lease, electric service program, insurance, and more into a unified cost structure.
“Only through the comprehensive bundling of services are logistics companies, like Salem, able to eliminate the capital, technology, and energy price volatility risks of launching a zero-emissions fleet,” said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada.
“Introducing battery electric vehicles to our operations was a new initiative,” agreed Dennis Giff, general manager, Salem Carriers. “The DTFS/Electrada approach was unified, aligned with our operating needs, and set the stage to scale future electric vehicle integration into our services.”
Additionally, the partnership with the Duke Energy microgrid provides reliable energy from both solar generators, stationary energy storage sites, and other energy management applications.
