What’s Happening: Frito-Lay North America has announced its first-ever third-party shipment on an electric vehicle (EV) in partnership with Schneider National Inc., a leading provider of transportation, intermodal, and logistics services. This marks the first third-party EV transportation shipment for PepsiCo globally, making Frito-Lay’s snack products the first to be transported on Schneider’s electric truck fleet of Freightliner eCascadias.
Why It Matters: This milestone shipment highlights the significance of cross-industry collaboration in building a more sustainable food system and achieving Frito-Lay and PepsiCo Positive’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. With Frito-Lay’s large scale, the company seeks opportunities to create positive change but recognizes the need for collaboration. Partnering with Schneider is an essential step in reducing value chain emissions and moving snack products more sustainably.
Key Points:
- An emissions reduction of over 70% is expected this year from the initial EV routes, compared to the same shipments on diesel trucks. This is equivalent to eliminating more than 180,000 miles driven by gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road.
- Initial shipments on Schneider’s growing Freightliner eCascadia fleet will be intermodal inbound and outbound dray moves in southern California, including service to Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga distribution center.
- Frito-Lay and PepsiCo’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2040 is guided by PepsiCo Positive (pep+), a transformation that places sustainability at the center of the company’s growth and value creation strategy.
Bottom Line: Collaboration with third-party transportation and distribution partners, which form 20% of PepsiCo’s emissions footprint, is crucial for the company’s sustainability goals. Frito-Lay’s partnership with Schneider sets the foundation for expanding the use of low- or zero-emissions vehicles within its third-party transportation operations. Additionally, Frito-Lay continues to make advancements within its company-owned fleet, including transforming one of its largest manufacturing facilities in Modesto, California, to implement site-wide alternative fuel vehicles and introducing 40 100% electric, zero-emissions route trucks in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2022.
