DHL Supply Chain has placed an order for ten Tesla Electric Class 8 Semi Trucks. The transportation management leader is one of the first third-party logistics companies to order the trucks.

Fortigo Freight Services, one of Canada’s largest dedicated fleet management companies, also announced it had ordered Tesla trucks, becoming the first dedicated fleet company in that country to invest in the new electric models.

DHL Supply Chain will test the trucks, which will be available in 2019, at its customer operations in major US cities. The trucks will be used for shuttle deliveries and same-day customer deliveries, and will be tested for mileage efficiency on longer runs from major markets to other DHL operations across the country.

“This is a revolutionary approach to trucking,” said Jim Monkmeyer, president of transportation at DHL Supply Chain North America, “and we want to be a part of it for our customers, for our employees, and for our industry.”

DHL Supply Chain also plans to evaluate the trucks’ impact on drivers’ quality of life and job satisfaction. DHL Supply Chain’s 2017 talent gap research report highlights a supply chain talent gap that has the potential to spiral into a talent crisis. According to the American Trucking Association, the shortage in drivers could double from 48,000 in 2015 to almost 100,000 in 2020.

Deutsche Post DHL Group plans on being the industry’s driver of electromobility and market leader in green logistics. Its e-mobility initiative is also part of its GoGreen program, an environmental protection project that will help Deutsche Post DHL Group become the first logistics company to reduce all logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050.

Fortigo Freight’s order confirmation of the Tesla Semi trucks highlights the company’s move towards adopting the latest innovative technology in the industry, as well as its commitment towards consistent improvement of their sustainability practices.

The company, which has a long-standing core group of drivers and independent contractors, will test the new trucks to ensure optimized delivery performance, high-quality safety features and improved value for all its customers. Fortigo will also be rolling out a comprehensive leaseback program to help further support independent contractors, pending the success of the testing phase.