The new truck is the result of a partnership with Translima, which since 2018 has been transporting Agropalma’s packaged products, such as fats destined for the food service market and the industries of chocolate, ice cream, fillings and pasta, among others, from all over Brazil. The launch is a complement to the company’s logistics, as the first vehicle, presented in 2022, is responsible for exclusively transporting bulk products.

“Agropalma’s initiative exemplifies the company’s ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices throughout the value chain. It also represents an advance in the search for energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the company’s logistics operations”, he highlights.

Changing the fuel brings several benefits to the environment, such as significantly lower emissions of nitrogen oxides and the suppression of sulfur oxides, responsible for acid rain. Agropalma estimates that it will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 21% on the routes taken by each vehicle, which represents a reduction of 40 tons per year. As a comparison, approximately 5 thousand trees would be needed per year to sequester this carbon.

“Agropalma is committed not only to being sustainable, but also to consolidating itself as an inductor of good environmental practices in the regions in which it operates”, says André Gasparini, Commercial Officer at Agropalma. “By delivering our packaged products in a CNG-powered truck, we are bringing to life the concept of sustainability from within the company to the outside and becoming an example for small and medium-sized companies, which can start thinking about a way to measure their own carbon footprints.”

CNG, a cleaner and more efficient alternative to conventional fuels, contributes to the mitigation of climate change and promotes a greener approach to the transport of goods. “Translima has followed technological evolution and sustainable practices with CNG and electric vehicles in partnership with its customers”, says Felipe Lima, Commercial Officer at Translima. “We were very pleased to find in Agropalma a partner willing to innovate and reduce emissions in the transport of its products.”

Alexandre Steffen, Logistics Manager at Agropalma, says that the truck will operate within the state of São Paulo, where the compressed gas supply network is more developed. “We are monitoring the development of this market and studying new routes for the two existing trucks, as well as the possibility of expanding our number of CNG-powered vehicles”, he explains.

STEP TOWARDS GENDER EQUALITY

In addition to being sustainable, Agropalma’s new truck sends an important message of gender equality. The vehicle will be driven exclusively by a woman. The person responsible for delivering the products safely will be Pamela Mendes. A truck driver for almost 15 years, she was inspired by her grandfather and had the dream of traveling aboard a truck on the roads of Brazil since she was a child.

“This means several dreams coming true. For me, it is very gratifying to have the opportunity to be a woman driving a sustainable truck like this. Fortunately, I am seeing doors opening more and more for female truck drivers”, she reports. And does anything change in the way you drive the truck? “It doesn’t change the way you drive, but it is much more comfortable and has much less noise.”

Source: Gazeta de Limeira (12/24/23)