As both truck and trailer manufacturers – and indeed their customers – seek bumper-to-bumper green trucking solutions to cut carbon emissions, Woolworths SA and DP World are proving what’s possible. Since launching Africa’s first AxlePower reefer (refrigerated trailer) in January 2024, the partnership has expanded its eco-trailer fleet to 16 units, each designed to keep FMCGs cool while cutting emissions on long-haul routes.
Kinetic energy meets cold-chain innovation
AxlePower captures kinetic energy from the trailer’s movement and converts it into electricity to power the refrigeration unit. The result is 100% electric, zero-emission cooling that operates independently of the truck’s diesel engine – a breakthrough in sustainable cold-chain logistics.
“To get the most out of this technology and to maximise the sustainability benefits, we operate these trailers on our long-haul routes between Johannesburg and Cape Town and north into Namibia,” says Feroz Koor, Woolworths Group Head of Sustainability.
“With 12 trailers already on the road, we saved 102 tonnes of carbon emissions in the last year alone. Expanding to 16 trailers not only accelerates progress, but it also brings us closer towards our goal of 21 AxlePower trailers by June 2026 and creates the opportunity for even greater carbon savings in the future.”
A journey to net zero
This initiative forms part of Woolworths’ Good Business Journey Vision2025+, which commits the retailer to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040. By rethinking its logistics chain through innovation and collaboration with DP World, Woolworths is showing that truck fleet sustainability can be achieved without compromising quality or reliability.
Editor’s comment: Woolworths and DP World are setting a great example of true ‘system thinking’ – where the truck, trailer and technology all work together towards a single goal: decarbonising road freight. It’s a demonstration to the wider industry that the path to net zero runs not just through new trucks, but through smart trailers and forward-thinking partnerships too. Well done folks!
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