Run on Less data redefines electric truck viability

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE)’s Run on Less — Messy Middle was an impressive real-world demonstration of the capabilities of different truck technologies available to fleets today. As the official data partner since 2017, Geotab has had a front row seat to the performance data from these runs, giving us a clear look at how operators are maximizing freight efficiency. 

This year’s Messy Middle tracked 14 Class 8 trucks across 13 fleets and four distinct powertrains, focusing on regional and long-haul applications - the backbone of commercial freight. 

The participating fleets and vehicles included: 

• Diesel/renewable diesel: Albert Transport (Freightliner); Frito-Lay (Volvo); Mesilla Valley Transportation  (International); Schneider National (International).
• Compressed natural gas: Kleysen Group (Kenworth); UPS (Kenworth); Wegmans (Peterbilt).
• Battery electric: 4Gen (Volvo); Joyride (Windrose); Nevoya (Freightliner); Saia (Tesla x2).
• Hydrogen fuel cell: Penske (Hyundai); Pilot (Hyundai).

For fleet managers making long-term investment decisions, the data gathered over three weeks proves that while no single solution is universal, multiple fuel types are proving their readiness for deployment in the right freight applications. There are many lessons to be learned from the data, but here I focus on one aspect: utilization and pushing the limits of BEVs.

Bridging the mileage gap: Internal combustion vs. electric range 

The demonstration immediately highlighted the impressive capability of high-mileage diesel and CNG trucks. The top performer in daily distance was Mesilla Valley Transportation’s (MVT) International diesel, averaging around 900 miles per day, followed by UPS consistently at 700 miles per day. Other high-use performers included Wegmens’ and Kleyson’s CNG trucks, and Albert Transport’s diesel Cascadia, all averaging just below 500 daily miles. These trucks successfully achieved high utilization even with very demanding workloads.  

In fact, many of the diesel and CNG participants were operating with particularly high demands, including hauling multiple trailers. This heavy-duty operation emphasizes their capability in the most demanding freight lanes and is an important consideration when comparing utilization across fuel types.

Figure 1: The chart displays the distribution of daily distance covered by all participating trucks. While diesel and CNG tractors showed higher overall daily mileage, the top-end performance of the BEVs was competitive, demonstrating mileages comparable to many of the internal combustion engine routes. 

However, the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) data delivered a powerful message: their range capabilities are rapidly growing. While most BEVs ran predictable, lower-mileage routes, two players stood out. 

Impressive range and strategic charging

Joyride logged over 900 miles with their Windrose truck on their top day and consistently operated in the 400-mile range. This achievement is nearly matching the use rates of the diesel and CNG trucks in this three-week run.

Saia's Tesla (Tesla #2) also showed impressive usage, averaging 456 daily miles and reaching a high of 585 miles in one day. Notably, this vehicle also recorded the longest distance on a single charge during the event: 445 miles (accomplished using 91% of its battery capacity).

This performance points to two key findings: the ability of BEVs to cover impressive distances on a single charge, and how effective charging strategies can complement the duty cycle to maximize utilization, allowing a truck to achieve more than its single-charge range in a single day. With the improved range of this latest generation of electric trucks combined with an effective charging strategy, their utilization can be competitive with diesel trucks. 

Maximizing ROI: the depth of discharge advantage

One way to measure a BEV’s workload is its depth of discharge (DoD): the metric that shows how much of a truck’s total battery capacity is used each day. With the exception of Saia’s Tesla #1, the electric trucks set a high benchmark for productivity, with daily average DoDs ranging from 60% to over 90%, and all surpassing 100% DoD on at least some days. Notably, Joyride’s Windrose pushed utilization limits, exceeding 100% DoD on nearly half its operational days, meaning it completed more than one full charge cycle on those days. In contrast, Saia’s Tesla #1, dedicated to shorter, local trips, frequently operated below 25% DoD, suggesting its energy potential was largely untapped.

Figure 2: The BEVs in the Run on Less Messy Middle had high utilization overall, measured by the batteries’ daily depth of discharge. In contrast, electric class 8 trucks at large are using less than 42% of their batteries. Data from Geotab.

When this high utilization is compared to the overall market, the contrast is stark. The mean DoD for nearly 200 class 8 BEVs across the wider fleet was only 42%. 

This powerful finding from the Run on Less Messy Middle clearly highlights a major opportunity for fleets. By deploying current-generation electric trucks in roles that demand high utilization, they can achieve substantially greater productivity and a better return on investment (ROI).

Takeaways for fleet managers

The transition strategy

• The Run on Less — Messy Middle confirms that the transition to cleaner freight demands a multi-solution approach, not a single one-size-fits-all fuel type.
• All tested technologies (diesel, CNG, BEV, and hydrogen) showed viability for their applications.

BEV performance vs. traditional benchmarks

• A key takeaway, however, is that the performance of the participating BEVs directly challenges previous assumptions about electric truck limits.
• While high-mileage diesel and CNG tractors set the benchmark for high-daily utilization (including with the most demanding loads with multi-trailer hauling), the top-end performance of BEVs, such as the Joyride Windrose truck covering over 900 miles in a single day, proves that these trucks are viable for serious deployment and capable of the hard work required in the messy middle. 

ROI and operational efficiency

• For BEV investments, maximizing your ROI hinges less on the truck's published range and more on your route and charging strategy. Most BEVs deployed today are regularly using less than 50% of their battery capacity, leaving significant productivity and ROI unrealized.
• The technology is capable of more; aligning charging with operational demands is the key to unlocking this potential. 

Real-world insights can help you match the right technology to your operational needs, accelerating the move toward a cleaner fleet. 

View the full metrics for each truck and download the dataset from the Run on Less Messy Middle results page.

Photo credit: NACFE Run on Less