R+L Carriers Announces Electric Vehicle Initiative
3/6/2025 - Wilmington, Ohio - R+L Carriers has launched an electric vehicle initiative as part of ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions across company operations. This echoes industry-wide sentiment to reflect sustainable business practices throughout the nationwide supply chain.
Three California service centers, Ceres (CER), Long Beach (LGB) and Los Angeles (LAX), are participating in the initiative. On January 21, OEM representatives from Freightliner and Autocar visited the Ceres location for on-site training. The following day, joint training for Long Beach and Los Angeles employees took place at the Los Angeles service center. These events served as an opportunity for R+L Carriers personnel to receive instruction on vehicle operation, conduct safety checks and drive with representatives from the manufacturer. The R+L Carriers Maintenance Department has taken the lead on introducing the electric vehicle initiative with assistance from other internal departments in varied capacities.
Currently, three electric vehicle models are in use as part of this initiative. Three Ford E-Transits and one Freightliner eM2 Box Truck reside at the Los Angeles service center while the CER, LGB and LAX locations each maintain their own Autocar E-ACTT. R+L Carriers has installed chargers at the three locations and all vehicles can utilize the same charging unit.
"This project will help us understand the current zero-emission electric vehicle landscape as it exists today," said David Pelletier, R+L Carriers Fleet Sustainability Manager. "By monitoring numerous metrics over an extended period of time, we will gather ample data and identify best practices to observe in our fleet operations going forward. Ultimately, we aim to incorporate this technology into our operational procedures with the least amount of disruptions."
R+L Carriers is a member of the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry that advances sustainable practices in the nationwide supply chain. The adoption of electric vehicles in truckline operations marks a significant step toward reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions company-wide.
About R+L Carriers
Based in the United States, R+L Carriers is a Global Freight Transportation and Logistics company that has remained family-owned and operated since 1965. R+L Carriers offers one of the most comprehensive networks of nationwide service centers for LTL, Truckload, Expedited and Cross-Border Shipping. In addition to its core value-added shipping solutions, R+L Carriers has a portfolio of services that extends to International Supply Chain Management, Warehousing and Customs Brokerage.
Learn about R+L Carriers: rlc.com