Reel Green™ Vendor Spotlight: Whiskey Jack Transportation

Reel Green™ Vendor Whiskey Jack Transportation is a pioneer in the Motion Picture and TV transportation industry—they provide safe, reliable, sustainable, and emission-free people and equipment transport solutions that benefit the environment and the communities where we work.

Investing in advanced tech and innovation, Whiskey Jack aims for carbon neutrality. By 2025, 35% of its fleet will be electric; by 2027, it aims for a fully electric fleet. It prioritizes safety, maintenance, and reliability for the film industry. Whiskey Jack introduced fully electric work trucks as a pioneer, leading the charge for a sustainable film industry. Collaborating with industry leaders, it offers expert consultation for carbon-neutral operations. Whiskey Jack was the first and only Motion Picture Transportation company to provide E.V. charging-on-demand to productions in 2023. Even W.J.’s truck rental competition used its Firefly mobile charging unit. This coo-petition helped others develop more charging alternatives within the industry and its supply chain. Even when drawing power from a diesel generator, Firefly helps optimize its emissions output and fuel consumption.

Discover more about Whiskey Jack Transportation in our Q+A with José Luis Gutiérrez, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, for insights into their journey towards a cleaner, greener film and television industry.

1. 1. Whiskey Jack Transportation has pioneered the film industry by operating fully electric work vehicles. Can you share the story behind this innovation and how it has contributed to creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly film industry?

The film industry uses medium—to heavy-duty trucks to move crew and equipment. Whiskey Jack saw the trend for E.V.s and set out to pioneer motion picture commercial electric transportation. Electric trucks reduce noise and air pollution, so electric transport contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible film industry. 

1. 2. Your commitment to balancing environmental and economic considerations is impressive. How do you work with the film industry to provide solutions that help reduce carbon footprints while staying within budget constraints?

T.V. and Motion Picture producers founded Whiskey Jack; therefore, budget constraints are at the top of their producers and Whiskey Jack’s minds. Whiskey Jack’s model is that clean, quiet transportation should not be more expensive than the fossil fuel status quo and rents its electric trucks at prices competitive with their fuel counterparts, helping productions reduce their carbon footprint and fuel cost and contributing to redirecting fuel savings into production value. 

1. 3. Partnerships with producers, studio heads, and industry leaders are crucial in achieving carbon-neutral operations. Could you provide examples of how these collaborations have led to more sustainable practices within the film and television industry?

The solution to the E.V. problem isn’t lost on the big players in the market; some prominent studios have asked for multiple Whiskey Jack’s fast-charging mobile units ASAP. Because Whiskey Jack is the first and only Motion Picture Transportation company to provide charging on demand to productions, even W.J.’s truck rental competition uses its Firefly mobile charging unit. This co-opetition is helping develop better and more sustainable practices within the industry and its supply chain. 

1. 4. Reducing air and noise pollution is a significant goal for Whiskey Jack. What specific measures and technologies do you employ to minimize the environmental impact of your operations, especially in urban areas like Coquitlam and beyond?

Whiskey Jack uses Firefly, its fast-charging mobile unit, to recharge its electric trucks from the grid in Coquitlam and studios in any municipality with the correct electrical capability. Whiskey Jack’s 5-tonne electric work trucks and the mobile chargers have telematics technology that reports their energy consumption and how they improve the production’s environmental impact. Even when drawing power from a diesel generator, Firefly helps optimize its output, reducing emissions and fuel consumption. 

1. 5. Whiskey Jack operates in several locations, including Metro Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, and has expansion plans. How do these operations contribute to the broader goal of creating a cleaner, greener film and television industry, and how do you plan to expand your eco-friendly solutions beyond British Columbia?  

According to the Vancouver Sun, the Motion Picture and T.V. production industry significantly affects British Columbia’s GHG emissions. One film project can generate about 500 metric tons of CO2 and 77 metric tons of CO2 for one hour of scripted T.V. show. As the Province, mainly in the Vancouver area, hosts over 65 movies and 55 series annually, the industry must transition to clean, low-emission technologies like all-electric work vehicles today. 

To meet British Columbia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 40% below 2007 levels by 2030, the Motion Picture and T.V. Production Industry needs to start decarbonizing its transport operations as soon as possible. Whiskey Jack is ‘piloting’ the case study for transitioning to zero-emission electric medium—and heavy-duty Sustainable Production fleets.  

Whiskey Jack is transitioning its internal combustion engine fleet of vehicles and equipment to electric. By electrifying its fleet, Whiskey Jack Transportation and Technologies Inc. is a forerunner and first adopter in the clean transportation of Sustainable Motion Picture and T.V. Productions. 

W.J. is uniquely positioned to transport the production’s equipment and crews to different B.C. filming locations, from city studios in various municipalities to snow-covered mountain roads, deserts, and lakeshores. The all-electric heavy-duty trucks, tractors, vans and shuttles don’t have regular designated routes and may journey across British Columbia to reach long-distance and remote locations. Therefore, it is in the Motion Picture Industry’s interest to have on-demand access to mobile charging infrastructure in urban, suburban and off-the-road sites. 

1. 6. Looking ahead, what are the future sustainability initiatives and projects that Whiskey Jack Transportation is excited about? Are there any upcoming developments or partnerships that our readers should be on the lookout for?

Whiskey Jack is building a streamlined version of the Firefly, the first-ever mobile fast-charging unit specific to the Motion Picture Industry. Hydra is more powerful, lighter, and more maneuverable than its predecessor. Whiskey Jack’s Future Developments and Innovations include vehicle-to-grid capabilities to support the grid in any of the communities where we work, to efficiently deploy flushable toilets, mobile wastewater recycling, and purifying units for dishwashing, water reutilization and potable water at construction sites, events, concerts, and for Motion Picture clients. 

By electrifying its fleet, Whiskey Jack Transportation and Technologies Inc. is a frontrunner and first adopter of clean transportation for Sustainable Motion Picture and T.V. productions. For more information, visit the Whiskey Jack Transportation’s website. 

There are over 30 Reel Green™ Vendors that offer a wide range of sustainable services or eco-products to help green our world. Let us know any Reel Green™ Vendors you would like to see in the spotlight next! If you are a Reel Green™ Vendor, and would like to be featured, send us an email at reelgreen@creativebc.com to set up an interview.      

Are you a vendor, but not on the Reel Green™ Vendor List yet? Check out the page linked below to find the vendor application form.       

Learn more about the Reel Green™ Vendors
Subscribe to the Reel Green™ Newsletter