Tesla Semi Truck Customers Are Still Waiting, Sysco Says, “We Put A Deposit On 50 Trucks in 2017, They Placed Us In the Queue”

The product is fantastic, but you can't get one. 

That's what future Tesla Semi truck owners are saying. PepsiCo, who took small demo deliveries of Tesla Semis, raved about them, according to a report from Automotive News (by subscription). But it's been nearly a decade since customer first placed their orders, and they are still waiting. 

Automotive News says, "After years of delays, Tesla is finally getting its heavy-duty Semi-truck program closer to production, but for most customers, it looks like it will be nearly a decade since their orders were placed before deliveries begin."

AN says photos of construction at Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory, its first high-volume Semi factory, have garnered breathless headlines from brand boosters and apostles of the electric vehicle maker's disruptive performance in the passenger-car market. 

"And even when Tesla gets production up and running — now expected in 2026 — it's unlikely to fulfill its ambitious goal for capturing market share in the Class 8 truck segment, according to analysts. Even the company acknowledged it would have to drum up demand," says AN.

The report says the Class 8 Semi truck market amounted to about 200,000 vehicles of all powertrains in 2023. "For Tesla to immediately seize a quarter of that market with battery-electric vehicles after delays in delivering the trucks it already owes would be nothing short of astonishing."

AN says, "Tesla's success in the famously insular and limited universe of Class 8 trucks would require an overthrow of heavy hitters such as Volvo, Daimler, and Paccar. Freightliner's new Class 8 EV registrations last year reached 321, compared with Tesla's 21, according to S&P Global Mobility."

"Semi growth will largely depend on our customers' adoption of the product," said Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering at Tesla, on an October 23 financial performance call. Tesla's new facility aims to produce 50,000 Class 8 trucks annually.

Tesla Semi's 2017 launch

AN's Molly Boigon says Tesla's commercial truck venture has had no shortage of ups and downs. Its initial launch in 2017 generated fervent industry buzz and orders from fleet owners, including J.B. Hunt, Meijer Inc., Ryder Systems, DHL Supply Chain, Anheuser-Busch, Sysco Corp., UPS, and PepsiCo. Tesla was supposed to begin production in 2019.

Tesla Semi trucks get rave reviews, but nobody can get them.

In September 2023, the Tesla Semi beat its rivals in a real-world battery range test. On average, it traveled more miles per day than any other vehicle in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency's Run on Less event focused on commercial EVs. One PepsiCo Tesla drove 1,076 miles in a day with mid-shift charging. 

This performance is a testament to the truck's features. "It's best in the market now, but nobody can get the truck," Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, said.

In October, Automotive News contacted several fleet owners who had placed orders for Tesla Semis years ago. While PepsiCo has some, other early customers have yet to get any. Here are the companies that are still waiting. 

Ryder Systems

Ryder Systems confirmed it had yet to receive the five Semis it reserved. However, Karen Jones, head of new product development, said in an email, "We are excited to receive the vehicles once delivered by Tesla." 

DHL

DHL said it had done a two-week trial with a Semi, but Glennah Ivey-Walker, vice president of communications for DHL Group, said the company has yet to have a confirmed delivery date for the ten trucks it ordered in 2017.

UPS

Rudolf Douque, a UPS spokesperson, said the company did not have "a specific update to share" regarding the 125 Semis it had reserved in 2017. However, it views Tesla as one of its "collaborators" in the quest for carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Sysco

Katie McIntosh, a senior manager for corporate media at Sysco, said the company placed a deposit for 50 trucks in 2017, but "there is no obligation to acquire the 50 trucks." The deposit "simply placed Sysco in the queue to get delivery when the trucks are manufactured," and Sysco said it is "working closely with Tesla to confirm their volume production schedule and delivery plans."

FedEx

Other fleet owners, including FedEx, Meijer, Anheuser-Busch, and J.K. Moving, have yet to respond to Automotive News' inquiries about whether or not they have received their vehicles. "Certainly, this is not how truck launches usually happen," said Oliver Dixon, a senior analyst for heavy trucks at Guidehouse Insights. "It is very unusual."

Don't count Tesla out of the Semi truck market.

Automotive News says, "Still, as Tesla has proven in the past, nothing is impossible." This reminder of Tesla's past successes instills confidence in the company's ability to overcome the current challenges. Stay tuned. 

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Tesla