Seattle's Heavy Duty Electric Trucks Pilot

Around 4,000 diesel drayage trucks serve the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle, located within the Duwamish Valley. These trucks transport goods from ports, cargo ships or neighboring rail yards for storage or distribution. Even traveling a short distance, diesel drayage trucks are a major contributor to increased emissions locally that impact the environment and public health. 

However, the City of Seattle introduced the Heavy Duty Vehicle Electrification Incentive Pilot, which plans to bring electric drayage trucks to the Duwamish Valley back in 2023. Initially, the Pilot offered truck drivers up to $180,000 in incentives to support the purchases of Class 8 electric trucks, but drivers voiced that the funding was not enough for the trucks’ initial cost, infrastructure and insurance.

As of October 2025, the City of Seattle acquired $1.5 million in purchasing incentives for Zeem Solutions (Zeem). This partnership will help bring 12 new electric Class 8 trucks that will serve the Port of Seattle. 

Read more about the City of Seattle and Zeem Solutions' partnership here.