Natural Gas Trucks?

THey tell me that the tanks are rated for an accident. I'll tell you I don't want to be in the drivers seat to find out if they are.

 

I run on that stretch of I-65 daily and see those CNG Ruan tankers all the time. They haul milk out of Fair Oaks, and if I remember correctly their fuel is derived at least in part from the animal waste from the dairy (manure). It's pretty common to see them broke down on the shoulder or on the hook. I can only guess it has something to do with the fuel system, because the trucks are all fairy new KW's.

That's just a guess on my part, because they drivers never reply when I holler at them on the radio to ask if they've run out of cow farts.

 

I am new to this forum and want to be careful not to promote any particular product (because, full disclosure, I do have a bias) but I would encourage you to look a the dual fuel conversion systems now available from several companies that are approved by the EPA for use. The EPA changed the rules in March 2011 to make it easier for such systems to get approval. These systems convert your existing truck to run on a combination of diesel and natural gas so you still get full diesel power, unlike 100% natural gas engines. Also, if you run out of natural gas, the truck just runs normally on 100% diesel so you never get stranded. There is undoubtedly more work to be done in fueling station infrastructure to get to widespread usage but these systems can help get the fuel cost savings now for some operators.

 

you think we're paying a lot for diesel fuel then wait to see if natural gas becomes the main fuel for trucks. Around here where I am fuel is anywhere from 3.77-4.25 per gallon. If natural gas hits the trucking market I can almost guarentee that price will almost triple.

 

CR England also has a small fleet of natural gas trucks. They are based out of the Mira Loma, CA. I believe they run to Vegas and back. I also believe they are daycabs. I used to drive for CRE, and they made a big deal about the CNG trucks.