Electric Yard Mule

Today I saw a totally electric yard truck at a HyVee distribution center. First time seeing one, I actually didn’t know they existed before today. This DC has only one and for just a year. The driver said they got the wrong charging package with it. It takes 10 hours to charge, so I’m assuming they can be set up for a faster charge.

BK made it to PDI today I see! When we were first set to get one alot of shag drivers had no interest in it. After giving it a try now they all love it. No fumes and much smoother ride not to mention the constant vibrations of idling for when they have some downtime.

From what we were told last year, we're also going to receive a couple daycab international electric trucks. Our yard, as well as the Hy-vee in Chariton IA were going to get them to try out. I'm hoping to get to test one out, preferably on an in town route in case I don't like it I can swap it out for my normal tractor.

Did PDI get ya out in a reasonable amount of time?

Show me the cost to buy, then the real cost to operate it, conventional vs electric. My money is on the standard model.

Show me the cost to buy, then the real cost to operate it, conventional vs electric. My money is on the standard model.

I'll see if I can get the numbers on it. They've told us that for the electric shag trucks they are saving money running them due to not needlessly wasting fuel during the downtime where they'd be otherwise idling. Why they wouldnt just turn off the diesel shag ive got no idea. We're leasing them to see if they're worth purchasing so I'm not sure what the purchase price is, or how long it would take for them to be a better option financially. From what I've heard though, the guys that drive them daily along with management are liking what they see.

This article ofCosts to run electric is a year old so the diesel numbers aren't up to date, but I felt it did a great job breaking down the costs. One thing it didn't mention though is how long the batteries are expected to last and how the cold affected them. In our case I didn't pay any attention to it. Also, is electric really better for the environment when you factor in everything involved in producing it, especially the way the power to supply the truck is produced such as coal or nuclear energy.

Show me the cost to buy, then the real cost to operate it, conventional vs electric. My money is on the standard model.

It all depends on your use case. What's the climate like? How large is your fleet? What's the fueling situation like? It's a little like saying, "Sneakers or steel-toed boots, choose ONE".

Electrics have higher reliability because there are fewer moving parts. A breakdown or PM can take a ICE truck offline for several days. That's a much bigger deal if you're a small lot with one truck than if you're a large yard with eight.

In some locations they need fuel pumps just for the yard goats. Depending on the state it may be worth it just to not have to deal with the licensing, permits and DEQ requirements that come with having a fuel pump.

I'm shocked its taken this long to come up with an electric yard truck. When I was a warehouseman we had electric forklifts. The battery was on rollers with locking metal bars on either side to keep it from rolling off while driving the forklift. To recharge you'd park the lift next to a cart with rollers the same height as the rollers in the battery bay on the forklift, lift the metal arms and push the battery on the rollers onto the cart. You'd push the cart with the dead battery to a charger and plug it in. You could then push a cart with a fully charged battery next to your forklift and push it onboard. Lower the arms, plug in the connector and you were back in business. That was 35 years ago!

BK made it to PDI today I see! When we were first set to get one alot of shag drivers had no interest in it. After giving it a try now they all love it. No fumes and much smoother ride not to mention the constant vibrations of idling for when they have some downtime.

From what we were told last year, we're also going to receive a couple daycab international electric trucks. Our yard, as well as the Hy-vee in Chariton IA were going to get them to try out. I'm hoping to get to test one out, preferably on an in town route in case I don't like it I can swap it out for my normal tractor.

Did PDI get ya out in a reasonable amount of time?

Yes, Rob, the people there in Ankeny, IA are really nice to deal with. In and out in a little over 2 hours. Pretty efficient. It was easy to talk to the electric truck driver because the truck is silent. Helps with conversation, lol. Nice facility with big staging lot and easy docks to back in to. Guys at the guardhouse are especially courteous and efficient. Five star rating!

Sorry, I messed up my previous comment. Expand the quote to view my reply to Rob. My bad.