Salem Carriers to Use Pair of eCascadias in Carolinas
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Salem Carriers is to begin using two Freightliner eCascadias to service some of Daimler Truck North America’s inbound logistics needs in the Carolinas, the companies said June 25.
The initiative is part of plans by the truck maker to expand use of battery-electric trucks on specific inbound lanes to the Daimler Truck unit’s manufacturing locations in the Carolinas, a DTNA spokeswoman said in a June 27 email.
Contract logistics specialist Salem services the Cleveland Truck Manufacturing Plant; Mount Holly Truck Manufacturing Plant; Thomas Built Buses’ facility in High Point, N.C.; Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. in Gaffney, S.C.; and DTNA’s Gastonia Parts Plant in North Carolina.
Cleveland Truck is Freightliner’s largest U.S. manufacturing plant, while Mount Holly produces Freightliner’s medium-duty models. The Gastonia facility carries out stamping, metal fabrication and sub-assembly of cab and chassis parts.
Salem’s eCascadias are set to be based at the company’s Statesville, N.C., hub.
A Salem Carriers employee at a charging station. (Daimler Truck North America)
The initiative is part of a wider DTNA strategy to electrify its regional logistics networks, which serve manufacturing plants and parts distribution centers within 250 miles.
In April, Freightliner and Western Star owner DTNA said it would expand the use of battery-electric trucks across multiple business units, including operations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan and Saltillo, Mexico.
The Salem initiative will see Daimler Truck Financial Services and Cincinnati-based fleet electrification specialist Electrada provide an all-in-one charging-as-a-service solution. It is DTFS’ first time teaming up with Electrada, DTNA said.
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DTFS and Electrada will develop, operate and maintain the charging infrastructure as well as a power contract. The infrastructure will include an en route top-off charging facility next door to the Mount Holly plant.
Salem is one of several carriers that serve DTNA’s inbound logistics needs in the Carolinas, the spokeswoman said in the email. DTNA aims to achieve carbon neutrality for all new products and services from direct suppliers in Europe, the United States and Japan by 2039.
In 2020, DTNA’s Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant in Oregon, where Freightliner’s eCascadia and eM2 trucks are built, achieved carbon-neutral production by reducing energy consumption and offsetting on-site emissions.
DTNA plans to achieve carbon-neutral production at all its remaining truck manufacturing plants by 2025.
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