Posts Tagged “diesel fuel costs”
The appeal of big rig electric trucks may be even bigger than thought….Plus, Del Monte completes its acquisition of Mann Packing.
Electric Trucks
Testla Inc. is the maker of the long-distance class-8 electric trucks scheduled to be introduced in 2019. Now some fans of the new truck believe they will pay off the difference between electric and diesel trucks in as little as 18 months. Jim Monkmeyer, president of DHL Supply Chain, who is one of the first to order the electric trucks, recent told Reuters the new trucks could pay for themselves this fast because of energy usage and low maintenance costs. Engines for electric trucks are said to be much simpler in relation to the number of parts and complexities of the parts.
Additionally, based on the assumption diesel fuel costs will remain high, plus costs are projected to decrease for electric trucks, the saving could be even more than originally anticipated. anticipated.
Sysco Corp. of Houston already contracted to by 50 tractor-trailers, while Meijer Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI is set up for an electric truck test drive.
Del Monte/Mann Acquisition
Fresh Del Monte Produce of Coral Gables, FL has finalized its acquisition of Mann Packing Co. Inc. of Salinas, CA for about $361 million.
Del Monte has been for years associated primarily with bananas, but more recently has been diversifying its business. Purchasing Mann accelerates its efforts to become more invested in fresh-cut. Its sales in the segment for 2017 were $607.8 million, up 18 percent from the previous year.
Mann’s product offering is roughly 50-50 between bulk vegetables and fresh-cut. Del Monte recently spelled out some of its plans to incorporate Mann into its operations. It was noted Mann is mainly on the West Coast with much less of a presence in the Northeast, but has little activity in the Southeast and Southwest of the U.S. Thus, Del Monte is looking to develop new business in those regions. It also is looking leverage its infrastructure across the U.S. to improve marketing and distribution of Mann Packing products.