The Future of Trucking in Ontario
In recent years, interest has been growing in electric vehicles and their potential to transform the way we transport people and goods. While electric vehicles are still relatively new to the road, they boast a lot of benefits for both people and the planet. And if we continue to rely on vehicles for our mobility, using eco-friendly options will only become more important.
It’s true that many of us use vehicles every day to get from one destination to another. But road transportation also impacts a wide variety of industries, including greenhouse farming! Transport trucks bring all our vegetables from the farm to your neighborhood, so finding new ways to make the transportation of healthy food healthier for the planet has become a special focus for our team.
That’s why, when faculty members at the University of Windsor reached out to our team about an exciting new research project involving long-haul electric trucks, we jumped at the chance to get involved! Let’s take a closer look at how electric vehicles and our partnership with the University of Windsor have the potential to drive us even further into the future of clean transportation.
Making a Case for Electric Vehicles
People have driven vehicles the same way for decades, and while it has gotten us far by allowing people to move faster from one place to another, the health of our planet hasn’t been prioritized in the process. That’s why this new movement of going electric has become a popular option for many vehicle owners and operators: there are a lot of pros to using this new driving tech that benefit both people and the planet!
Gas and diesel-powered vehicles, which are currently one of the primary options for transporting people and goods globally, can be more costly to maintain and less efficient and eco-friendly to operate. Most vehicles that are powered by gas or diesel have a lot of moving parts, which means there is more maintenance involved to keep them on the road, as well as the need to use more chemicals like antifreeze and oil. And not to mention that the burning of gas and diesel to make these vehicles run releases harmful emissions into our air.
The good news is that electric vehicles have the potential to solve a lot of these problems! With a traditional engine replaced by a rechargeable battery, an electric vehicle needs less overall maintenance because there aren’t as many moving parts to care for. Also, as much of the world moves towards using more renewable sources of electricity, it is greener than ever to power electric vehicles. In Ontario specifically, the province uses 92% renewable power, meaning electric vehicles can operate at near-zero emissions!
While there are many benefits that could come with switching to electric vehicles, we still have a way to go before more people and industries can adopt this new driving tech. The initial start-up cost of buying an electric car is still more than most people would be willing to pay, and more infrastructure is needed to make sure these vehicles can charge up properly within our communities. But the transition to electric is well underway, so industries like ours will still need to prepare for what’s to come if we want to stay competitive. And that’s where our partnership with the University of Windsor comes in!
Long-Haul Electric Trucks Research Project
It was an exciting day when faculty at the University of Windsor approached our team about participating in a new research project involving long-haul electric trucks! As a local business that uses transport trucks to deliver our vegetables from the farm to stores across North America, the University of Windsor team wanted us to help them gain a better understanding of the routes transport trucks take when driving throughout Ontario.
With the transportation data they gather from us, the University of Windsor research team will be creating a desktop model where they can virtually map out transport truck routes throughout the province and determine how long-haul electric trucks could be best introduced onto our roads. They will also be looking at options for sharing electricity between electric transport trucks and the facilities where they pick up and drop off their loads.
The partnership between Nature Fresh Farms and the university’s research team just makes sense: after all, who doesn’t want to support research into clean transportation options that bring people healthy food? To learn more about this exciting new research project, check out our Press Release here.
Our Commitment to Greener Transportation
This research project is just one of the many ways our team is making greener transportation a priority. We are always finding better ways to care for our plants, our people, and our planet, so having the opportunity to influence what the future of clean transportation could look like aligns perfectly with our company’s mission and values.
Another one of our recent partnerships that is helping us ship smarter is the SmartWay Transport Partnership. Recognized across North America, this program is designed to help companies reach their transportation goals while making decisions that keep our planet top of mind. As a SmartWay Shipper Partner, we’re committed to tracking our transportation data and submitting it for review so our friends at SmartWay can provide us with the guidance and tools we need to discover new ways to ship smarter.
With partnerships like these to guide us, our team is heading in the right direction: towards a greener future for fresh produce transportation!
The Future of Long-Haul Trucking
We are passionate about delivering the freshest and healthiest vegetables to people in our communities, but we know there is still work to be done to ensure these deliveries are made in the greenest ways possible. We’re excited to see what the future of long-haul trucking has in store for greenhouse farming and how electric vehicles will impact the way we bring fresh vegetables to your neighborhood.
