The pressure in the retail sector is clear:
Sustainable transportation – without jeopardizing store supply.
What drives many decision-makers is not an ideological issue, but everyday life:
Multi-shift shuttle transport between warehouse and store
Sometimes several deliveries per day
Tight time windows, night deliveries, high frequency
Zero tolerance for failures at the ramp
The fear:
An electric truck can’t keep up.
Range, charging times and availability slow down the circulation –
and the diesel runs again in the end.
That is not a prejudice. It’s a legitimate question.
DENKINGER is one of the e-truck transport pioneers in Germany. Not in the pilot project – but in the real day-to-day business of retail.
What that means in concrete terms:
E-truck in shuttle service between warehouse and store
Multi-shift tours, plannable rotations
Own charging infrastructure instead of dependence on public charging availability
Operational experience of where e-trucks work – and where they don’t
In short:
We had the same concerns.
We solved them.
And we are operating the model stably today.
Food logistics is under constant pressure: tight delivery windows, sensitive goods, strict regulations in city centers and residential areas. This is precisely where e-trucks play to their strengths – especially in the region and in the store network.
With e-trucks, markets, bakeries or beverage retailers can be supplied at night or early in the morning without disturbing the neighborhood with engine and start-up noises. This allows delivery windows to be shifted to off-peak times – the goods are on the shelves in good time before opening, without any trouble from residents or authorities.
City centers and municipalities are increasingly focusing on environmental zones, noise protection and stricter rules for delivery traffic. E-trucks are a strong argument here: quiet, locally emission-free on the road and therefore much more future-proof than traditional diesel transportation.
The overall impression counts, especially when it comes to fresh food. E-trucks do not emit any exhaust fumes locally – neither at the loading ramp nor in front of the store entrance. This improves the working environment for employees and suits brands that want to make a credible sustainability promise to their customers.
In food logistics, refrigeration, time pressure and energy consumption are directly related. In conjunction with sophisticated energy management, e-trucks can be planned so that loading times, routes and refrigeration requirements interact optimally – from the ramp to the store.
Many consumers today expect food brands to take visible steps towards sustainability. Those who have their stores supplied by e-trucks not only demonstrate this in their sustainability report, but also on the road – every day.
DENKINGER GmbH
Röntgenstraße 6
89584 Ehingen