New Jersey Grants $13M to Hydrogen Drayage Truck Port Pilot
New Jersey is paying $13 million to fund a near-term experiment testing the ability of hydrogen-powered drayage trucks to move cargo at the Port Newark Container Terminal.
The state funding is going to Rutgers, which will use the money to test the technology in New Jersey. The goal is to see how hydrogen trucks perform in a real port drayage setting, where short-haul moves, frequent stops, heavy loads and tight turnaround times are part of the daily routine.
For drivers and fleets running port work, drayage is a demanding segment that quickly exposes what works and what doesn’t. A pilot at a busy terminal like Port Newark is a practical way to evaluate whether hydrogen trucks can handle container moves without disrupting operations.
Why it matters: Ports are a major hub for truck traffic, and states are increasingly putting public dollars toward equipment trials that could change how drayage freight is hauled. This $13 million allocation positions the Port Newark Container Terminal as a test site for hydrogen-powered drayage trucks, while Rutgers leads the funded effort.