How Cal Fleet Advisor Benefits California Fleets

By Kelci Arellano with LaunchSquad for CFA

It is easy to assume that the largest fleets from the top companies make up the majority of the commercialized trucking industry. But across the country, nearly 92% of all fleets have just one to six vehicles. According to the DMV, California is home to more than 668,000 owner-operators (those with just one vehicle) and nearly 82,000 fleets with two to 50 vehicles. In fact, 99% of California fleets have fewer than 50 vehicles.

From cross-country to rural, last-mile to drayage, there are a variety of fleets in California that would not only reap business and driver benefits from transitioning to electrification but would also positively impact air quality and decrease gas emissions. It is no secret, though, that transitioning to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) can be confusing and time-intensive—especially for small fleets.

This is where Cal Fleet Advisor (CFA) comes in. A program created by CALSTART and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), CFA connects fleet managers and operators with a zero-emission support team to help manage your fleet transition to zero-emission trucks and implement charging infrastructure.

A member of CFA’s support team will quickly learn the inner workings of your operations and will support it in the ways you need most. This may include analyzing vehicle options and refueling or charging solutions, identifying relevant grants and incentives to lower the upfront cost, managing conversations with landlords and utility partners, and assisting with the ever-grueling paperwork. CFA provides specialized support to help every California fleet on their ZEV journey.

Below we have identified several fleet types that need the most assistance across the state and how CFA is able to support them in their ZEV transition.

MUNICIPAL FLEETS, often made up of off-road equipment, trucks, and vans, are maintained by municipal, multi-year budgets. CFA can help your municipal fleet adopt ZEVs and charging infrastructure through securing grants and incentives, and by creating long-term plans to support this transition within your limited resources.

DRAYAGE FLEETS are fundamental to California’s largest ports and its booming logistics economy. These fleets operate in ports and distribution centers, moving shipping containers to and from ships, railcars, storage lots, and warehouses to prepare their transportation to their final destination. Because these areas are highly congested with trucks, drayage creates a large hazard to regional air quality. CFA can work with your drayage fleet to transition trucks away from diesel, both meeting decarbonization goals set by the state and the ports and providing cleaner, safer trucks for your drivers and community.

NONPROFIT FLEETS can be quite diverse in function and are similar to those used by small business owners. These are often medium-duty vehicles like work trucks and vans. Nonprofits do not always have the time, resources, or accessible expertise to gather the information on how to effectively transition to ZEVs. The CFA’s support team can help your nonprofit navigate the transition with confidence, while simplifying the process of applying to eligible local, state, and utility-based incentives and grants.

LAST-MILE DELIVERY FLEETS are made up of vehicles bringing goods to their final destination, such as package or goods delivery services. CFA can help your last-mile fleet find step vans and straight and box trucks that meet your business operations. CFA can also help ensure ample charging opportunities by identifying efficient routes with chargers along the way, exploring mobile charging solutions, and deploying permanent charging infrastructure onsite. CFA’s support team can facilitate third-party conversations around your fleet’s electrification project, including with the corporations you deliver for, your utility company, and your landlord.

RURAL FLEETS operate in areas with limited access to the power grid and can face challenges with charging infrastructure when transitioning to ZEVs. With public charging options few and far between, CFA’s support team helps your rural fleet establish onsite and mobile charging solutions to ensure your vehicles always have the power access they need to go the distance.

In summary, CFA’s support team applies their experience in the zero-emission trucking space to assist any California trucking fleets and operators with the ins and outs of how to effectively transition to ZEVs. Your fleet will be quickly matched with an advisor who is well-equipped to support your needs and can help make the transition as seamless as possible.

Whether you own or manage a fleet, your organization has a fleet, or you support fleets third-party, the CFA team can help! Connect with Cal Fleet Advisor today!

CALSTART’s Zero-Emission Showcase + Ride and Drive at Chula Vista, CA, 2023. Photo by Uplifted Visuals.