Page 20 - ATR 4 2013

side and on the vehicle conversion side. Earlier this year, FedEx CEO Fred facturers are now producing both LNG
Jared Tomlinson, operating partner, Smith told the Wall Street Journal that and CNG models, and the industry
said his firm has been helping the city he expected between five and 30 per- is investing in research and develop-
of Little Rock develop its station while cent of U.S. long-distance trucking to ment. Other companies, in addition
converting vehicles for dealerships, indi- be fueled by CNG or LNG over the next to Clean Energy Fuels, are producing
viduals and companies. The backlog is 10 years. Whether he’s right depends a fueling infrastructure. According to
several hundred vehicles. on prices, availability and the growth of Feighner, natural gas became a viable
“It’s the new transportation fuel,” the natural gas fueling infrastructure. fuel for solid waste vehicles once the
he said. “I live it. I believe it’s going to The price of diesel may have stabilized, nine-liter Cummins Westport engine
bring OPEC to its knees in the next but a barrel of oil is still trading at more was produced. A similar tipping point
five to 10 years because there’s such an than $100. All of the motor carrier could be reached in trucking. “Nearly
abundance of it.” industry’s original equipment manu- 50 percent of all the trash collection
trucks sold nationwide last year were
dedicated natural gas,” he said. “They’re
not doing it because they want to be
Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 14, No. 3 • June 2009 • $4.95
Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Volume 6, Number 2 • April 2001 • $4.95
green. They’re not trying to curry favor
Tim Hill
with their franchisees. They’re doing
ShifTing gearS
it because they’re slashing costs out of
their operating model.”
According to FedEx Freight’s John
25,000 technology. The trucks run more qui-
Death Tax • Size and Weight Laws • Legislative hearing Smith, drivers have welcomed the new
Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 15, No. 3 • June 2010 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 14, No. 6 • December 2009 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 16, No. 2 • Issue 2 2011 • $4.95
etly than diesel and have fewer emis-
sions. Choate said his Frank Thompson
ReadeRs Transport drivers say the mixture of

CNG actually produces more torque
stRong up a hill.
don’t have to downshift while driving
Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 13, No. 1 • February 2008 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 12, No. 2 • April 2007 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 15, No. 1 • February/March 2010 • $4.95 and pulling power; for example, they
Choate isn’t ready to start pur-
chasing more CNG vehicles yet, but
he is watching the numbers. When he
started considering the experiment,
diesel was $4.20 per gallon and seemed
headed toward $6. With the price sta-
Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 15, No. 6 • December 2010 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 16, No. 3 • Issue 3 2011 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Magazine of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 17, No. 2 • Issue 2 2012 • $4.95 Award-Winning Regional Journal of the Arkansas Trucking Association Vol. 15, No. 2 • April 2010 • $4.95
bilized at under $4, converting more
vehicles isn’t worth the uncertainty
and expense. The equivalent amount
of CNG was $2.34, according to the
U.S. Department of Energy’s April 2013
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Prices
Already an award-winning regional magazine, we’re pleased Report. Natural gas is a cleaner fuel
already an award-winning regional magazine, we’re
to announce Arkansas Trucking Report (ATR) now boasts a than diesel and is abundantly available
domestically. However, unlike diesel, it
pleased to announce Arkansas Trucking Report (ATR)
whopping 25,000 readers nationwide and we're still is not guaranteed to be available at fuel-
growing. That makes ATR a great place for you to advertise. ing stations across the country. Choate
now boasts a whopping 25,000 readers nationwide
and we're still growing. That makes ATR a great place
If you want to reach this highly targeted, influential group of our industry's leading decision-makers and ask says he’s learned enough about CNG to
them to consider purchasing your products or services, then you’ll want to place an ad in every issue of ATR.
Contact Jennifer Kidd, publisher, jennifer@matthewspublishing.com to make it happen. be ready if and when it is. “I don’t have
for you to advertise.
any real near future plans for doing any
If you want to reach this highly targeted, influential group of our industry's leading decision- more, but as far as my test, I’m pleased
makers and ask them to consider purchasing your products or services, then you’ll want to with my test,” he said. “It has given me
place an ad in every issue of ATR.
the information I needed to know, and
Contact Jennifer Kidd, publisher, jennifer@matthewspublishing.com to make it happen. it cost me $100,000 or so to do it.”

20 arkansas Trucking reporT | issue 4 2013