The Fleet Business Authority
Issue link: http://heavydutytrucking.epubxp.com/i/221397
FuelSmarts giant's strategy back in the late '90s was really emissions. The company found that the fuel offered it much more than emissions compliance. It has realized fuel cost savings, maintenance savings and customers demand it. By the end of 2014, the fleet expects to be approaching the 4,000-vehicle mark in its transition. Although it still has close to 500 LNG trucks in its fleet, all WM's new investment is CNG. To support its efforts, the company has more than 50 natural gas stations across the country. It also sells its own brand of Clean N Green CNG in partnership with PetroCard. Fin theL U E News WESTPORT DROPS 15-LITER LNG ENGINE N atural gas truck engine producer Westport Innovations stopped taking orders for its North American 15liter model after Nov. 15, citing weak demand. GE, CLEAN ENERGY DEAL WILL HELP FLEETS BUY NAT GAS TRUCKS E Capital's Transportation Finance business and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. have entered into a strategic alliance to accelerate the conversion of heavy-duty trucking fleets from diesel to natural gas. To take advantage of this opportunity, truck fleet operators will first work with Clean Energy to develop natural gas fueling contracts, and will G Circle 187 on Reader Action Card 34 HDT • DECEMBER 2013 WM also has a facility at its Altamont landfill near Livermore, Calif., that converts landfill gas into natural gas to fuel its trucks. Tufte, who says he "walks the talk" and drives a natural-gas-fueled Honda Civic, says the company got into it in a big way starting in 2009 when it was asked to bid for the business of the City of Seattle. The bid called for either EPA 2007 diesels running 30% biodiesel or alternative fuels. "At that point I chose alternative fuel, and I don't regret that decision at all," he says. "When we looked at that decision later, we went to the corporate office and showed them what the decision had yielded in terms of ROI, and they committed to convert the whole fleet." ■ then apply for loans and leases, including fair market value leases, from GE Capital to acquire the trucks. Clean Energy will then help offset the monthly cost of newly-acquired NGVs to make it consistent with the cost of a diesel truck, if the customer makes a fuel commitment. TA/PETRO ANNOUNCES FIRST LNG LOCATIONS O fficials with Travel Centers of America announced when and where they will open their first liquefied natural gas filling stations. The joint project with Shell targets commercial vehicles. Expect to see one in Pennsylvania, one or two in Texas and two or three in California during the first half of 2014. The goal is to have a nationwide network of 200 locations. C.R. ENGLAND GETTING TRAILERTAILS C .R. England is adopting TrailerTail technology from ATDynamics after extensive joint fuel-economy testing. The aerodynamic trailer "boattail" devices have the potential to reduce the company's diesel consumption by more than 2 million gallons annually, the equivalent of offsetting the carbon emissions of over 7,000 passenger vehicles. www.truckinginfo.com