Matt Schrap, the former CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association, is joining Forum Mobility as its chief commercial officer, effective Aug. 25.
Schrap will “oversee commercial strategy, customer partnerships, and fleet transition initiatives, helping operators cost effectively deploy advanced technology and meet ambitious zero-emission goals,” Matt LeDucq, CEO and co-founder of Forum Mobility, said in a press release.
The fleet transition to zero emissions faces obstacles on both the drayage and port sides of the industry. With his experience in trucking, supply chain and industry advocacy, Schrap believes he’s well-positioned to tackle these challenges head-on.
“My kind of joke is that I have been complaining about the lack of heavy-duty vehicle charging infrastructure for years. This is an opportunity to do something about that and actually provide solutions,” he told Trucking Dive in an interview.
Schrap noted that truck drivers are already dealing with their own industry issues, such as booking appointments at marine terminals, which requires a high level of savvy and monitoring of various websites to secure a time slot to pick up a container. If zero-emissions vehicles are involved in the pick-up, that itself could become a non-cash incentive for marine terminal operators or port authorities to prioritize securing an appointment, he said. He added that alleviating such “operational challenges” can help offset some of the hurdles to transitioning the industry to zero emissions, although he knows that’s easier said than done.
“I'm not going into this lightly,” Schrap told Trucking Dive. “I'm going into it eyes wide open, understanding Forum and what they've done, where they're going [and] how they've gotten here has been frankly inspiring. And that's why I'm doing this. I want to help people, and I feel that Forum is the best way to really do that.”
Forum Mobility currently operates five EV charging facilities, three in Northern California and two in Southern California, with more depots in development, according to its website.
“[Matt’s] understanding of the challenges facing carriers and his proven track record of delivering solutions will be invaluable as we expand our charging network and support fleets in their transition to zero-emission operations,” LeDucq said.
