Posted on 03/19/2026 7:36:12 PM PDT by SmokingJoe
WSJ: Tesla Finally Has Its First Semi-Truck and It’s Already a Hit With Truckers.
"Truckers who drove it in pilot tests say they loved features including a centered driving position, faster charging and longer range for about $100,000 less than other battery-electric trucks. Angel Rodriguez, a 56-year-old truck driver for Hight Logistics in Long Beach, Calif., recently swapped out a 13-gear diesel truck for a Tesla Semi, which is automatic, for a one-month pilot test. “It’s just easier on your body. It’s less stressful because you’re not really having to engage the clutch and the stick shift.”
Big F Transport employs five mechanics to service more than 40 diesel-powered rigs and a fleet of trailer chassis in Wilmington, Calif. “If we go all EV we will only need one [mechanic] to service chassis,” said Geovanny Melendez, the carrier’s VP of operations, who went to see the Semi earlier this month at a ride-and-drive event near the Port of Long Beach.
Jennie Abarca, co-founder and CEO of King Fio Trucking in Long Beach, Calif., once worked as a truck dispatcher and her husband is a truck driver, so she knows all too well the toll a diesel engine takes on people’s lungs and hearing. She eventually wants to swap out King Fio’s 27 diesel trucks to create an all-electric fleet.
King Fio already has 11 battery-electric trucks from Volvo and Nikola. But the company limits those trucks to shorter trips to and from local ports because they only have a range of about 225 miles.
The Semi, by contrast, can travel 500 miles on a single charge, according to Tesla. For King Fio that means two or three round-trips a day from Long Beach to warehouses in the nearby Inland Empire or a single round-trip to Las Vegas. She has 20 Semis on order.
“The Teslas change everything,” Abarca said. “It opens up a whole different type of delivery that I can make.”
Angel Rodriguez says with the Tesla all that is needed is a light days tampon
Amazing. Tesla seems to have a winner in a challenging category of vehicle.
“Amazing. Tesla seems to have a winner in a challenging category of vehicle.”
Unless you’re talking about the guys that do 700-1000 miles a day, yes, it seems they do.
“$100,000 less than other battery-electric trucks”
Other. Battery. Trucks. What rigged BS article. These things may work in a tiny niche role but that’s it.
“700-1000 miles a day”
Given that they are limited to 11 hours of drive time per day, 14 hrs truck time...then mandatory 10hrs of rest, by law...there’s not very many doing 1000 mile days.
And 700 is rare.
It doesn’t look too roomy... Where do you put your truck stop hooker?
Yeah, but how many more people are going to die on the road because, since their vehicle has all these ‘safety’ features, they don’t really have to pay any attention to the act of driving?
And once the musk.gov mandates that ALL vehicles on the road must have these features, how many people will die because they can no longer afford basic transportation?
And how many people are going to die because fed.gov had to print megabux to subsidize Musk’s AI control network, driving inflation completely out control and further destroying any economic hope for the lower and middle classes?
9 hours of driving and how many hours to charge it back up?
Truckers like it?
Fellas, I’ve gathered everybody here for some good news and bad news.
First I know you like the new Tesla semis. (Guys and gals applaud).
Second, unfortunately, like Waymos for delivery jobs and others, you are all laid off because the Phase II semis run without drivers and load and unload by conveyor systems and robots. Sorry.
Out of curiosity I looked it up.
The Standard Range one costs $250,000.
And the Long Range one costs $290,000.
Pricey.
My point is they are comparing it to other battery trucks not ice trucks
Current California regulation is forcing this on the industry, despite all the cost issues.
BTW... A 500 mile range for how long? First year... 500... Next year... 450... Next year... 400, etc., etc.
Ca will bully the nation with this BS if they are not stopped.
An enterprising engineer/inventor will very quickly create an affordable Tesla Big Truck diesel generator “range extender.”
500 mile range solved!
But 600 is pretty standard and is still out of range of EV's. Plus you have to consider the added weight which reduces cargo capacity. The article reads like a paid advertisement.
But then back in the 1980s, I had numerous 1K days by my self.
My log book was a work of fiction.
This is from 2024
“””A Tesla Semi truck fire on August 19, 2024, closed Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, California for roughly 15 hours. The lithium-ion battery fire required approximately 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish due to high temperatures exceeding 1,000°”””
https://www.kcra.com/article/placer-county-big-rig-fire-crash-interstate-80-emigrant-gap/61912862
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.