Optimus, Deere and Penske launch B100 freight pilot

Optimus Technologies, John Deere and Penske Truck Leasing are deploying five biodiesel-ready Freightliner Cascadias in the Midwest to test whether heavy-duty fleets can cut emissions without changing operations. The program could help John Deere move toward broader B100 use across a logistics network that burns nearly 4 million gallons of diesel a year.

Why it matters: - The Field to Freight program is designed to show that 100% biodiesel can work in normal freight operations without disrupting leasing, maintenance or routing. - The pilot could become a repeatable model for fleets looking to lower emissions while using existing trucks, service networks and fueling infrastructure. - The deployment is expected to cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% versus petroleum diesel.

What happened: - Optimus Technologies, John Deere and Penske Truck Leasing launched a new collaboration to run biodiesel-powered freight in the Midwest. - The program will deploy five 2027 Freightliner Cascadia trucks equipped to operate on B100. - The trucks will transport John Deere parts and products on regular commercial routes across the Midwest. - The initiative uses domestically produced biodiesel supplied by Chevron from its Seneca, Illinois production facility.

The details: - The five trucks are expected to travel more than 700,000 miles a year. - The fleet will use more than 85,000 gallons of B100 annually. - The fuel is produced from renewable oil equivalent to 60,000 bushels of soybeans. - Chevron’s biodiesel feedstocks include soybean oil and distillers corn oil. - Optimus’ Vector System lets conventional heavy-duty diesel engines run primarily on B100 while retaining the option to use petroleum diesel when needed. - Penske is providing full-service truck leasing, maintenance and over-the-road support. - CPC Logistics is managing John Deere’s fleet operations and drivers. - John Deere’s logistics network currently consumes nearly 4 million gallons of diesel a year. - The partners will evaluate vehicle reliability, maintenance, fueling, driver experience and operating economics during the deployment. - Optimus says more than 1,300 trucks equipped with its technology have traveled over 250 million miles in commercial service. - Optimus says its technology can be deployed on new trucks during manufacturing and on existing fleet vehicles in as little as 24 hours. - More information is available at Optimus Technologies.

Between the lines: - The collaboration pairs fuel production, truck leasing and fleet management to reduce the operational friction that often slows alternative-fuel adoption. - John Deere gets a live test of whether renewable fuels can fit into a large logistics operation without changing how trucks are acquired or maintained. - The program also ties agricultural feedstocks to freight demand, reinforcing the supply chain link between farm products and diesel replacement fuel.

What's next: - The partners will use the initial five-truck deployment to determine whether B100 can scale across a broader commercial fleet. - Results from the pilot could influence how John Deere expands biodiesel use across its logistics network. - The larger goal is to prove a leasing-based model that other heavy-duty fleets can adopt with existing infrastructure.

The bottom line: - Optimus, Deere and Penske are betting that biodiesel can move from pilot to practical fleet tool if the fuel, trucks and maintenance are packaged together.