Balford Farms takes its first electric truck

30th October 2023

Burlington, New Jersey, USA: Balford Farms, a food distributor, has introduced an Orange electric terminal truck to its fleet. Penske Truck Leasing provided the electric truck that will support Balford Farms’ warehouse and distribution centre.

The electric truck, one of the first in the mid-Atlantic, will reduce Balford’s carbon footprint by over 15 tons annually by swapping an existing diesel truck to a zero-tailpipe emissions truck while increasing efficiency with 99% uptime, Balford Farms said.

Balford’s environmental sustainability efforts began a decade ago with solar panels installed throughout its Burlington, New Jersey-based warehouse, and distribution center. Over the past two years, Balford has converted all lighting to LEDs; started a partnership with Trenton Renewables, which recycles food and beverage waste into renewable energy, premium compost, and recaptured packaging; expanded recycling beyond cardboard to include wooden pallets, stretch wrap, and metals; and installed ChargePoint electric vehicle chargers for employee and guest use.

Overall, these initiatives create a collective annual environmental impact of total carbon emissions reduction by more than 1,800 tons. 

As truck fleets begin to contemplate what a zero-emissions transport future looks like, an increasing number are eyeing terminal tractors as an ideal application to familiarize themselves with electrification, Orange says

“We’re thrilled about this opportunity to bring innovation into our truck fleet and expand upon our recent sustainability commitments and successes,” said Larry Walker, chief executive, Balford Farms.

“This new electric truck exemplifies our ongoing promise towards being an environmentally responsible leader in the food distribution industry while delivering efficiency and safety to our workplace, and the very best service to our customers.”

Balford Farms provides warehousing and distribution services to quick service restaurant chains through its 60 daily delivery routes making over 200,000 customer deliveries a year. Balford also specializes in marketing and distributing high quality locally sourced dairy and beverage products, marketed under Balford’s owned Rosenberger’s dairy brand, to over 1,000 retail and foodservice customers throughout the Northeast US.