In June 2019, the Woodland, California Papé Material Handling location successfully sold and installed the first production-built Kalmar Ottawa electric spotting tractor on the west coast. This Kalmar Ottawa T2E (Electric) Terminal Tractor was purchased in June of 2019 by Ozark Trucking, the transportation fleet supplier to the environmentally conscious supermarket chain, Raley’s Grocery Stores.
While this may be experimental, with this being the first electric model terminal tractor utilized on the west coast, Ozark/Raley’s anticipates a payback period of less than one year due to the benefits of converting to electric; which include environmental, financial, and operational optimization.
Environmental Benefits:
- Rapid spotting of semi-trailers with zero emissions
- Reduced noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH)
A quieter and less physically demanding machine combined with the benefits of a substantially reduced carbon footprint and emissions across your whole business. This will help in enhancing your environmental reputation, knowing that electrically operated machines produce zero emissions at source and provide a healthier working environment for both employees and customers.
Financial Benefits:
- Fuel/Energy cost less than ¼ that of diesel
- Reduced maintenance and incremental (ie. oil, filters, etc.) costs/occurrences
Electricity is not only less expensive than diesel, but its price is also less volatile, delivering consistent and predictive contributions to your bottom line. The electric drive systems have less moving parts and are easier to maintain, meaning that servicing and maintenance tasks will take less time and occur less often. In the near future, customers will also be able to take advantage of a new diagnostic system, which can predict when maintenance tasks need to be performed before they become an issue.
Operational Benefits:
- Higher availability rates and improved driver benefits
- Increased uptime without compromising operational efficiency
The transition/training for operators is incredibly quick due to the well-conceived and executed, “man to machine interface” design of the Kalmar Ottawa T2 ICE tractor’s controls which were carried over into the T2E electric operator’s cockpit. Efficiency can be further improved by combining opportunity charging during breaks and shift changes, with bulk charging during downtime, allowing the tractor to operate for up to three shifts a day without compromising its operational efficiency.
We at Papé Material Handling, alongside our customer Ozark Trucking, are proud to have been a part of bringing the first production-built Kalmar Ottawa electric spotting tractor into service. Like so many of the other equipment and solutions we provide, this is a step toward more efficient and productive work environments across multiple industries. If you or your company are interested in Kalmar Ottawa machinery, or a different machinery line within our catalog of industry solutions, be sure to reach out to your nearest Papé Material Handling location for consultation and pricing.
History of Papé Material Handling & Kalmar Ottawa:
After purchasing Mid Pacific Industries’ Woodland, California Kalmar Ottawa dealership in November of 2018; Papé Material Handling officially added Terminal Tractors to their lineup of warehouse solutions, that also includes forklifts, aerial lifts, industrial vehicles, and warehouse design solutions. With 31 locations throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, and Nevada, you can count on Papé to take care of your investment in electric equipment solutions.
