Wisconsin-Based Carrier Is Latest to Begin Tesla Semi Pilot
Paper Transport is testing the Long Range model in Chicago using its dedicated operating model.
Wisconsin-based carrier Paper Transport has begun a pilot of the Tesla Semi Long Range in the Chicago market, joining a growing list of fleets testing or operating Tesla's electric Class 8 truck.
What Happened
Paper Transport (PTI) launched its pilot using the Tesla Semi Long Range variant within its dedicated operating model, where predictable routes and consistent mileage provide an environment for assessing battery-electric performance. "Our partnership with Tesla expands our portfolio alongside renewable natural gas and intermodal, giving customers more ways to reduce Scope 3 emissions without compromising service or economics," said PTI CEO Tyler Ellison. Bryan Ellen, PTI's VP of Maintenance, said his company is "bullish in our estimation of the parallels available between our dedicated model and the efficiency of [Tesla's] fully electric Class 8 tractor." Tesla produces the Semi at a 1.7-million-square-foot facility next to its Nevada Gigafactory with an annual capacity of 50,000 trucks.
Why It Matters
The Semi is available in two trims: Standard Range (325 miles) and Long Range (500 miles), both using three 800 kW electric motors producing 1,072 hp total. Tesla's pricing—$260,000 for the Standard Range and $290,000 for the Long Range—undercuts legacy truckmakers significantly. In California's Clean Truck & Bus Voucher program, the Semi captured 90% of Class 8 tractor applications (965 of 1,067), while Daimler, PACCAR and Volvo combined received fewer than 100. PepsiCo is running approximately 100 trucks from depots in Modesto, Sacramento and Fresno, and TaaS provider WattEV has ordered 370 units with the first 50 expected this year.
The Bottom Line
Tesla Semi reservations include Walmart, Sysco, Anheuser-Busch, UPS, DHL and J.B. Hunt, alongside fleet operators like ArcBest, which added two Semis following a 2025 pilot. Paper Transport's Chicago-area test adds to the expanding real-world data on Tesla's electric truck performance.
