The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, nestled along the Southern California coastline, are busy gateways of global commerce. Around the clock, massive container ships dock at these shipping hubs. Cranes lift and move their cargo onto trucks, sending the goods worldwide.

A key part of this process is drayage, the short-haul movement of goods between ports and inland destinations. While diesel-powered drayage trucks have long been the norm, many are working to enhance the air quality for communities along freight corridors with electric drayage trucks, a clean energy alternative.

Recently, partners of the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI) announced a significant fleet electrification accomplishment that could serve as a blueprint for other fleets. NFI, a leading North American third-party supply chain solutions provider, and JETSI deployed 50 battery-electric trucks.

To power the fleet, NFI partnered with Electrify America and Southern California Edison to energize a newly constructed electric charging depot in Ontario, California. The charging depot will allow the battery-electric trucks to refill at 38 separate DC fast chargers.

The fleet includes 30 Freightliner eCascadia trucks and 20 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, which were funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), California Energy Commission (CEC) and Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) through the JETSI project.

“NFI is committed to driving innovation and sustainability in the logistics and trucking industries,” said Brian Webb, president of port services at NFI. “Battery Electric Class 8 trucks have proven to be a reliable and efficient solution for our drayage operations to deliver goods to our customers, many of which appreciate the zero-emission freight strategy we offer.”

NFI’s new electric trucks are already running routes from its warehouse facility in Ontario to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Typical runs include two port pickups per day, per truck, for an average of 220 miles driven on a single charge. The trucks will perform drayage operations and deliver products to warehouses in Southern California — for customer operations spanning from manufacturing to retail.

Last year, JETSI partners also helped Schneider National develop an electric truck charging hub for drayage trucks in South El Monte. EV infrastructure projects like these are major construction projects. SCE, through its Charge Ready Transport Program, helps fleets navigate the complexities associated with medium- and heavy-duty charging infrastructure.

“SCE knows the importance of increasing the availability of charging infrastructure to enable fleet operators and other customers to charge as needed,” said Chanel Parson, SCE’s director of Clean Energy and Demand Response. “As companies begin to think about their fleet electrification needs, they should see SCE as a key partner. We help our business customers throughout the entire process. Our Transportation Electrification Advisory Services team can help fleets navigate their transition to electrification.”

SCE’s Charge Ready Transport Program allows businesses to install the infrastructure to support a fleet of medium- and heavy-duty EVs at low or no cost. This program, which helps fleet owners pay for EV charging infrastructure, also offers business customers significant construction and logistical support.

Today, beneath the towering cargo cranes, the rhythm of shipping continues. But it is now underscored by a quieter, cleaner harmony. The new electric drayage trucks have joined the freight lanes, helping reduce noise and air pollution, promising further benefits for surrounding communities.

For more information on SCE’s EV programs for businesses, visit sce.com/evbusiness.