market struggles. In fact, it’ s a strategy that the company itself is employing.
“ One strategy we are increasingly exploring is fleet diversification,” Bratcher says.“ We have opportunities to leverage more vans and non-CDL vehicles in geographical areas where reaching capacity on a standard CDL truck is challenging. This approach aims to lower costs and gain efficiency.
Breakthru Beverage Group is another wholesaler currently working on electrifying its fleet.
“ With our partners and customers, we strive to promote broad-reaching sustainable industry practices,” says Melanie Lundberg, vice president, talent management, Breakthru Beverage Group.
“ Our Operations leadership is committed to measuring our environmental impact to establish a baseline to set targets for improvement and future progress, while also identifying ways to limit our environmental impact, such as waste reduction, fleet emissions reduction and energy efficient warehouses,” she continues.
In October of 2024, DHL and Diageo North America incorporated two fuel cell electric trucks, powered with hydrogen, to their U. S. fleet. The hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks are part of a broader sustainable supply chain strategy for both companies that includes the use of battery electric vehicles, optimizing vehicle usage and routes, shifting to a multimodal approach and increased use of US EPA SmartWay partner carriers. These efforts have resulted in year-over-year reductions in carbon dioxide emissions for both Diageo and DHL.
“ We are extremely excited to be a part of this partnership delivering the first set of heavy-duty hydrogen trucks to Illinois, home to our largest manufacturing hub in North America. This initiative is part of our continued work to decarbonize our footprint in Plainfield, Illinois making our operations more efficient and sustainable,” said Marsha McIntosh, president of North America Supply at Diageo, in a statement.
YMX Logistics, a provider of outsourced yard logistics, actively works with beverage wholesalers to provide them with EV yard trucks so they can reap the benefits. Matt Yearling, CEO at the company, lists some additional benefits of switching to electric vehicles:
1. Cost Reduction. Fuel and maintenance costs are two of the most significant operational expenses in yard management. Diesel yard trucks require constant refueling, oil changes and mechanical repairs, all of which add to operational overhead.
2. Sustainability. Enterprise shippers are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and align with corporate sustainability commitments. According to the EPA, every gallon of diesel burned emits 22.4 pounds of CO₂. Replacing 50 diesel yard trucks with EVs can reduce CO₂ emissions by over 1,000 metric tons annually— the equivalent of removing 200 to 300 passenger vehicles from the road.
3. Operational Efficiency. Diesel yard trucks’ inefficiencies go beyond fuel consumption and emissions. They also suffer from mechanical failures, idle time and maintenance downtime, which can disrupt yard flow and supply chain continuity.
4. Employee Well-Being. Employee retention and workplace conditions are critical in today’ s labor market. Diesel yard trucks contribute to high noise levels, air pollution and worker fatigue, all which impact employee satisfaction and turnover rates.
“ While the benefits of EV yard trucks are clear, the transition is not as simple as replacing diesel vehicles with electric alternatives,” notes Yearling.“ Enterprises must navigate fleet procurement, infrastructure investment, regulatory requirements and operational integration— challenges that can slow adoption and create unnecessary risks.”
The transition to EV yard trucks is no longer a question of‘ if’ but‘ when.’ Forward-thinking wholesalers that act now will gain substantial financial, environmental and operational advantages over those who delay.
“ While the benefits of EV yard trucks are clear, the transition is not as simple as replacing diesel
vehicles with electric alternatives.” – MATT YEARLING, CEO OF YMX LOGISTICS
GOING SOLAR
Utilizing solar panels to power operations is another eco-friendly option to help reduce your carbon footprint. This is also a goal of RNDC, with Davis stating that the company is working on implementing LED lighting retrofits in 14 locations as well as reducing kilowatt / hour usage by 20 %.
“ RNDC is partnering with ProStar Energy Solutions to install solar systems at two locations: Lubbock, Texas and Ashland, Virginia,” says Davis.“ In Ashland, we will be cutting our KWH’ s annually from 2M to 285K and generating 70 % of our energy from solar. In Lubbock, we will be cutting our KWH’ s annually from 513K to 205K and generating 60 % of energy from solar. We will be saving 2.023M KWHs annually.”
In 2025, Davis also notes that www. beveragewholesaler. com Summer 2025 • Bevearge Wholesaler 33