AMP Americas, the compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling company that helps corporate and independent longhaul truck fleets transition from gasoline and diesel to CNG, put its first 12-Liter Kenworth T660 truck on the road.
This is the first of 42 new T660 trucks that will upgrade one of the largest CNG fleets in the country. The 42 new CNG trucks have the ability to travel over 600 miles between fuelings and will hold a 136-diesel gallon equivalent of CNG. Powered by the new 11.9-liter engine from Cummins Westport, the trucks will be outfitted with Agility back of cab CNG tank systems and Trilogy Engineered Systems side-rail assembly CNG tank systems.
“Over the past year and a half, our nine-Liter CNG fleet has successfully run over 8.9 million miles on a dairy route between Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, and Murfreesboro TN, displacing more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel fuel,” says Nathan Laurell, chief executive officer of AMP Americas. “We will go over the 10 million mile mark this year. Our trucks will now be stronger and get even better mileage on the road. The savings on fuel costs and the reduction of emissions will continue to be incredibly substantial.”
Bulk Transporter profiled the Fair Oaks Farms natural gas fleet at the time of launch in 2011. To read the exclusive cover story, click on the url: http://bulktransporter.com/mag/transportation_fair_oaks_farms-0901/index.html
CNG is domestic, abundant, and about 40% less expensive than diesel. It has significant environmental benefits, because it produces the fewest emissions of any motor fuel. CNG is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, which means less vehicle maintenance and longer engine life.
From a financial perspective, the long-term benefits in fuel cost savings far outweigh the incremental costs associated with converting to CNG fueled units for dedicated routes. According to the National Energy Policy Institute, if all heavy trucks in the United States converted to CNG, America could reduce US oil consumption by 12%, or 2 million barrels of oil per day.
AMP Americas is leading the way in using CNG as a sustainable transportation fuel via multiple innovative fuel-saving initiatives. In addition to helping corporate and independent long-haul fleets convert from diesel to renewably produced CNG, AMP Americas owns and operates two CNG fueling stations in Indiana. In partnership with Trillium CNG, a business unit of Integrys Energy Group, the company plans to build a nationwide network of CNG stations over the next few years. AMP Americas also co-owns a CNG plant that produces renewable natural gas from cow manure through a process called anaerobic digestion.