Maersk is the largest ocean shipping company in the world. Maersk does not just unload the containers to the parts and sail away, it also distributes the shipments to the freight terminals nearby or around the country. The Danish company has partnered with the Swedish startup Einride and added 300 electric trucks to its distribution fleet.

Today, diesel-powered Class 8 heavy trucks are used to carry the unloaded containers to their destination. While the diesel engine is one of the crucial elements of the shipping industry, it also pollutes heavily the air in and around seaports. The air along the highways between the ports of LA and Long Beach and freight terminals is filled with crud and almost unbreathable because of the exhaust pipes of the diesel trucks.

Einride is a Swedish startup founded in 2016 and developing electric vehicles that can ply between freight terminals. It has signed a 5-year partnership agreement with Maersk for 300 electrical Class 8 trucks. The battery-powered vehicles will be delivered between 2023 and 2025. They will be used by Maersk’s Performance Team, the North American warehousing, distribution, and transportation business of the company.

Road to Decarbonization

Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc pointed out that this is an important step towards the decarbonization of the distribution process. He also stated that Maersk has a comprehensive decarbonization plan for its Ocean activities, constituting 93% of all company-related emissions. The long-term goal of the Danish company in North America is to transform its fleet into a fully electric one to offer an environment-friendly alternative for short hauling.

The first trucks of the Maersk-Einride partnership will be the Class 8 8TT Gen 3 tractors made by BYD at its production plant in Southern California. Maersk will buy trucks with Einride technology manufactured by other brands. With this, Einride’s digital road freight operating system will be first and largely used in these trucks. The system of the Swedish company centralizes the decision-making and makes freight distribution more efficient.

In the last years, Maersk has increased its transportation solutions and offers not only its maritime customers. In 2021, the company brought in many entities, including the logistics provider Performance Team and its 58 US facilities last April and recently the Pilot Freight and technology provider Visible SCM.

The new electric trucks of Maersk will be on the roads of selected US cities. With the 5-year contract with Einride, Maersk will complete up to 1 million delivery events using zero-emissions trucks.   Einride’s Saga will also provide 150 charging stations and connectivity systems to the Danish freight company.