Schneider National announced that the carrier is now running two Lonestar Specialty Vehicles battery-electric terminal tractors.

The addition of the battery-electric terminal tractors advances “the company’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions and expanding its electric fleet, now at a total of 94 vehicles,” the company said.  

The Lonestar S22 terminal electric tractors (also known as yard spotters in the industry) are used to move trailers at Schneider’s Rancho Cucamonga, California, cross dock. The tractors replaced two diesel units.

Each tractor can run for an entire 24-hour period before needing to be recharged, and a full charge takes an estimated hour and a half.

“Implementing these tractors is a massive achievement as we move toward operating zero-emission vehicles at scale,” said Schneider Vice President of Equipment Engineering Jake VandeLoo. “Adding the units is part of our efforts to reduce the carbon footprint.”

The new tractors will save an estimated 35 tons of CO2 per truck each year, according to the company.  

“Scaling an electrified fleet requires intensive preparation,” Lonestar President Jay Simmons said. “Terminal tractors ensure the barrier to entry is smooth as they are either restricted to yard operations or very short shuttles. When charging is performed on breaks and shift changes in the yard, “range anxiety” and other infrastructure complications associated with over the road vehicles are eliminated. Schneider’s deployment in California is nothing short of impressive; we are so excited to be a part of this success story and look forward to helping Schneider accomplish their future sustainability goals.”

To learn more about Schneider’s sustainability initiatives, visit the Schneider website.