Open Transportation & Logistics
Global

Electrifying Drayage Alliance

The Climate Pledge is collaborating with the Smart Freight Centre to build a cross-industry alliance that accelerates port drayage electrification by pairing global ambition with practical action at the port level.

The Road to Zero Emissions Starts at the Port

Heavy-duty freight accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions – but the path to decarbonization doesn’t start on the open highway. It starts at the port

Drayage, the short-haul movement of containers between ports and nearby warehouses, is one of the most practical entry points for electrification. Routes are predictable, daily mileage is manageable, and charging infrastructure is increasingly accessible. Unlike diesel, electric trucks can offer more predictable energy costs, while diesel price can fluctuate with oil markets and geopolitical shocks. The technology, infrastructure models, and economics are beginning to align.

The transition is already underway. Companies moving now are gaining operational experience and insight as the market develops. The question isn’t whether electric drayage will scale – it’s who will help shape how it gets done. 

Where Industry Comes Together to Move Faster

The Electrifying Drayage Alliance (EDA) was founded to make electric drayage practical at major ports across North America, Europe, and Asia. 
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EDA connects global brands, cargo owners, fleet operators, infrastructure providers, and other stakeholders across the value chain. Members share real-world insights and emerging opportunities from early deployments that help companies integrate electric drayage into existing operations.

More than 45 companies are already collaborating, including HP, Microsoft, Nike, Kimberly-Clark, and Reckitt, alongside logistics and infrastructure partners such as Maersk, DP World, AIT Logistics, C.H. Robinson, Forum Mobility, and Macquarie Asset Management. 

Early progress incudes:

  • Electric drayage initiated at priority ports (e.g., Port of Long Beach-Los Angeles)
  • Infrastructure partnerships to address charging and operational barriers
  • Shared operational insights from early deployments informing best practices
Beyond reducing emissions in one of the economy’s hardest-to-abate sectors, participation also means cleaner air and less noise for port workers and surrounding communities.

Why Join?

EDA offers a structured, low-friction way to take practical first steps in a rapidly evolving space. Members get:
  • Real world insights from early deployments at priority ports
  • Connections to relevant partners across the value chain and local port coalitions
  • A seat at the table as infrastructure, regulation, and commercial models continue to develop
  • A clear signal to the market that your company is committed to decarbonizing freight

With falling battery costs, growing policy support, and strong industry momentum, the conditions for scaling electric drayage are becoming increasingly favorable. The EDA is helping turn early progress into a model that can be replicated across ports worldwide.

 

EDA is a voluntary, pre-competitive initiative. Participants make independent commercial and operational decisions.

“We are fragmented. And that's why spaces like this, the EDA, The Climate Pledge, are so incredibly important. Because collaboration is the most powerful tool we have. It is It's how we solve real problems, and it's how we create actual change. This is where we can find each other, where we get aligned, where we stop working in silos and start moving together.”

Jennie Abarca

Founder & CEO, King Fio Trucking

Join this project

EDA welcomes global brands, cargo owners, logistics companies, fleet operators, infrastructure and technology providers, and other organizations working to scale electric drayage.

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Access PDF of project overview, background, goals, expected results, and information on how to join.

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Spotlight: Smart Freight Centre

Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a globally active non-profit organization for climate action in the freight sector. Their goal is to mobilize the global logistics ecosystem, in particular members and partners, in tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SFC accelerates the reduction of logistics emissions to achieve zero-emission global logistics sector by 2050 or earlier, consistent with 1.5° pathways.

Visit Smart Freight Centre