Page 20 - ATR 3 2014 web

to $60,000 more than a diesel one, or, worse, waiting in line for their turn. number of drilling rigs is decreasing,
and fuel mileage is 2-3 miles per diesel He advised conference attendees to but production is increasing and out-
gallon equivalent less. But, because of make sure the stations on their poten- stripping demand.
the lower fuel prices, depending on the tial routes are accessible for big rigs At the beginning of the session,
miles driven, payback can be achieved before they buy natural gas-powered Rosser asked audience members for a
within 12-18 months. “When you can vehicles. These days, many new stations show of hands signifying whether their
say for the next 25 years, we know that are designed with Class 8 vehicles in fleets were adopting natural gas or
natural gas is going to stay within a mind. planning to do so. Not many responded.
few cents of $2, there’s a lot of value to “The vast majority of the adoption Personally, Rosser said Walmart has
that,” Riedl said. that’s happening is in the heavy-duty not yet had success adopting the tech-
But cheap fuel isn’t of much use if space, the new stations that are being nology. The company at one time had
it’s not available when a driver needs brought online and built today are four or five LNG vehicles but is phasing
to fill up. According to Riedl, there are almost all set up for heavy-duty trucks them out because, “We just couldn’t get
now 1,374 existing compressed natural to pull in and fuel,” he said. the economics to work.” However, the
gas stations, an increase of 71 percent Riedl told the audience that future world’s largest retailer had recently pur-
since 2009, with another 155 planned. supply of natural gas won’t be a prob- chased its first compressed natural gas
truck and was planning to bring online
four or five more in the Dallas area.
Riedl acknowledged the challenges
involved in switching to natural gas,
explaining, “It doesn’t make sense in
every instance.” No one is replacing
“The VasT majoriTy of The adopTioN ThaT’s their entire fleet, he said, but he pointed
happeNiNg is iN The heaVy-duTy space, The New out that a number of major companies
sTaTioNs ThaT are beiNg broughT oNliNe aNd made natural gas-related announce-
ments in 2013. UPS, for example,
builT Today are almosT all seT up for heaVy- announced that it was opening 13 LNG
duTy Trucks To pull iN aNd fuel.” stations. Capuano said one barrier to
natural gas adoption is resale value,
—charlie riedl, including for overseas sales.
So when is natural gas the more
direcTor, TraNsporTaTioN aNd eQuipmeNT, economical choice? Capuano said that
america’s NaTural gas alliaNce
natural gas becomes more and more so
as the price of diesel increases. However,
she said, “Today it’s a tough calcula-
tion. Those of you who own the trucks
probably have very specific uses for the
In addition, there are 93 liquefied lem. He displayed a map showing sig- trucks or very specific routes for the
natural gas (LNG) stations, with 78 nificant portions of the United States trucks that makes them make sense,
planned, public and private. Most of the with gas fields in play, prospects or con- and they probably also have something
new station announcements in 2013 taining natural gas basins. to do with whatever kind of regulations
were based in the eastern half of the “Hard to go just about anywhere in out there exist with emissions control
United States, primarily because many North America right now where there or any kind of subsidies that might be
already have been built on the West isn’t some sort of exploration and pro- out there that reduce the cost of owner-
Coast. duction happening, where we’re not out ship.”
Of the 1,374 clean natural gas looking for natural gas as a resource,” Riedl was more specific.
(CNG) stations, “a little north of 700” he said. “If you are an out and back fleet
are public access, Riedl said, and only He said natural gas producers are right now, natural gas is a no-brainer
about half of them are designed for improving their drilling techniques. home run,” he said. “You run enough
Class 8 trucks. Riedl said drivers need While the industry has used hydrau- miles in those trucks, you can put a
fast-fill stations that can fill a tank in lic fracturing, or “fracking” for many time-fill fueling station, you’ll likely
eight to 12 minutes, about the time it years, the big breakthrough was in have natural gas at your facility and
takes to fill a diesel truck. Otherwise, horizontal drilling methods allowing far very quickly start to recognize the pay-
drivers will be sitting as their truck fills more natural gas to be extracted. The back. If you are a fleet that drives to

20 ArkAnsAs truckinG report | issue 3 2014