Innovation in Delivery Trucks is Changing the Future of Distribution

delivery on bridge - distribution industry

Grabbing dinner at your favorite restaurant, picking up a few things on your grocery list, or sipping drinks at the hip new cocktail bar all require moving tons of products along the supply chain every day. Driver shortages and rising fuel prices pose challenges for maintaining a good supply and reasonable prices on many commodities. The growing popularity of green initiatives casts a negative light on pollution-heavy diesel trucks traveling along roadways. What is changing for delivery trucks in the future of distribution?

Peddler’s Son is one of Arizona’s leading wholesale produce suppliers for quality products and on-time delivery. We serve a wide range of industries, including those in healthcare, education, catering, restaurants, and grocery stores. We take pride in our services and look forward to nurturing incredible relationships with our clients. Read our article below to learn how innovation in delivery trucks could change the future of distribution.

Electric Vehicles Reduce Carbon Footprint

The green movement has taken over the interstates and electric vehicles are becoming a common sight on any commute. The emission-free initiative is merging into food distribution. While hybrid-electric trucks have been around for some time, fully electric versions are starting to appear. UPS recently unveiled a new line of zero-emission electric trucks representing a large jump for sustainability in the delivery industry. Electric vehicles offer more benefits than their counterparts. Not only are they cheaper to maintain overall, but they run more efficiently. Pollution and gas prices are large problems for the distribution industry, but the future is electric. 

The Future of The Beverage Industry

The sheer size of the beverage and alcohol industry offers unique challenges for distribution. A new wave of truck innovation is especially important for keeping the beverage supply chain up and running. Fleets that travel about 300 miles per day and return to the same charging station each night are the best candidates for electrification. In the beverage industry, routes are local and regional, and vehicles tend to go home to the same place each night. Designing a charging infrastructure would be efficient and economic. 

Thor Trucks wants to help commercial fleets of all sizes realize their capacity to go electric. They are currently conferring with a number of beverage alcohol companies and have secured orders for their trucks from a variety of grocery and beverage distributors. Electric vehicles are the solution to distribution issues in the beverage industry as they offer a significantly lower total cost of ownership, in addition to being friendlier to the environment.

Self-Driving is The Future of Driver Shortages

One of the distribution industry’s most pressing transportation problems is not having enough drivers to operate the number of trucks necessary to keep the supply chain running. AI might be the solution. Plus.ai has completed the first coast-to-coast delivery on behalf of Land O’Lakes. They hauled a fully loaded, refrigerated trailer of perishable food from California to Pennsylvania in less than three days. 

The autonomous truck traveled over 2,800 miles through varied terrains and weather. For this trek a safety driver and engineer were present to monitor the autonomous system operations, however, the trip shows the safety, maturity, and efficiency of autonomous vehicles at this point in time. As testing continues and AI technology advances, autonomous drivers could start to lessen the burden of driver shortages in the distribution industry.  

Peddler’s Son Knows Distribution

Peddler’s Son has provided Arizona businesses with quality wholesale products for over 30 years. We are committed to customer service, quality, and honest pricing to ensure our customers get the best products and provisions possible. 

As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor, we provide our services to everyone from the produce department to the hospital cafeteria. No matter your industry, Peddler’s Son is here for you! Contact us today and learn what a partnership with us can mean for your business.

Scroll to Top