By the end of  the year, America may have in place many stops along a “Natural Gas Highway,” according to Clean Energy Fuels Corp., of Seal Beach, Calif., which earlier this month unveiled the route plan for the first phase of 150 new liquid natural gas (LNG) fueling stations.

Clean Energy, which provides natural gas fuel for transportation in North America, has identified 98 locations and anticipates having 70 stations open by the end of this calendar year in 33 states.

            Many of the fueling stations will be co-located at Pilot-Flying J Travel Centers already serving goods movement trucking through an exclusive agreement with Pilot to build, own and operate natural gas fueling facilities at agreed-upon travel center.  Pilot-Flying J has more than 550 locations in 47 states.

            The initial segments of “America’s Natural Gas Highway,” or ANGH, include those linking San Diego-Los Angeles-Riverside-Las Vegas; the Texas Triangle (Houston-San Antonio-Dallas/Ft. Worth); Los Angeles-Dallas; Houston-Chicago; Chicago-Atlanta; and a network of stations along major highways in the mid-west region (IL, IN, OH, MO, KY, TN, KS, OK, AL) to serve the heavy trucking traffic in the area.

Scheduled for completion during 2012 and 2013, the 150 first-phase stations coincide with the expected arrival of new natural gas truck engines well suited for heavy-duty, over-the-road trucking. Engine manufacturers and original equipment truck manufacturers such as Cummins-Westport, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Navistar, Freightliner and Caterpillar are expected to have Class-8 trucks available in engine sizes allowing for varied road and driving requirements.

“We are moving quickly to build this important network in order to support the new trucks,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy’s President and CEO. “Already, Clean Energy has engaged over 100 shippers, private fleets and for-hire carriers that have shared their operations to qualify the economic opportunity of operating natural gas trucks, which has helped us, in turn, plan the first phase of the natural gas fueling highway.”

Littlefair noted that the ANGH stations are in addition to the station building planned for the company’s traditional markets in transit, refuse, airport/taxi/shuttle and local/regional trucking, which activity accounted for 63 station projects in 2011.

Currently priced up to $1.50 per gallon lower than diesel or gasoline (depending upon local markets), the use of natural gas fuel reduces costs significantly for vehicle and fleet owners, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions approximately 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. Additionally, natural gas is a secure North American energy source with 98% of the natural gas consumed produced in the U.S. and Canada.

U.S. average diesel prices for the week of January 9 were $3.828 per gallon (including all taxes).  That was up just over four cents from the prior week, and almost 50 cents per gallon over the price per gallon one year ago.

Prices rose week-over-week, on average, in every U.S. region, as illustrated in the chart.

*Source: US Energy Information Administration

While the final numbers won’t be released until later this month, ACT Research Co., LLC, in Columbus, Indiana, said the number of Class 8 commercial vehicle orders for December likely will approach 30,100 units. That brings the total number of class 8 vehicles ordered and/or sold to more than 305,000 for the calendar year, compared to just over 181,000 for 2010, according to the research firm.

That’s good news for the industry, as it continues showing strong growth in a flat economy. Part of the increase in orders was contributed to a tax break that expired on December 31. It allowed buyers to write off the cost of capital purchases in the calendar year in which the purchase was made.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says if you pay the fine, you’re admitting guilt.

Earlier this month, the FMCSA amended its rules of practice regarding proceedings in three ways. The first was clarifying that those who pay the full proposed civil penalty in an enforcement proceeding – either in response to a Notice of Claim (NOC) or later in the proceeding, is an admission of guilt.  Previously, respondents have attempted to avoid an admission of liability for the violations charged by entering a written objection when paying the fine.

“Payment waives respondent's opportunity to further contest the claim, and will result in the Notice of Claim becoming the Final Agency Order,” according to the FMCSA notice.

In other actions, the FMCSA says it is going to better monitor companies that go out of business and then pop up under a different name.  The FMCSA said it proposes to establish procedures for issuing out-of-service orders to motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers, brokers and freight forwarders it determines are simply “reincarnations of other entities with a history of failing to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements.” Companies in this category would be entitled to an administrative review before being shut down.

As part of the second rule change, the agency also would consolidate the records of reincarnated companies with their predecessor entities in its files and archives.

Special Points of Interest about January

·         Many U.S. states got their official start in January, including Alaska (January 3, 1959, becoming the 49^th state), Utah (January 4, 1896, becoming the 45^th state), New Mexico (January 6, 1912, becoming the 47^th state) and Kansas (January 29, 1861, becoming the 34^th state)

 ·         On the first of January in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation

 ·         The first American presidential election was held on January 7, 1789

 ·         Martin Luther King, Jr., American civil rights leader, was born on January 15, 1929

 ·         The gold rush was kicked off when gold was discovered in California on January 24, 1848

 ·         The world’s largest diamond, known as the Cullinan diamond, was discovered on January 26, 1905, weighing in at 3106.75 carats, or 1.369 pounds

 ·         Inventor Thomas Edison was granted the first patent for his incandescent light bulb on January 27, 1880

 ·         The U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in space, killing the seven crew members aboard, on January 28, 1986

 ·         Congress authorized the purchase of Thomas Jefferson’s library on January 30, 1815, which birthed the Library of Congress

 ·         Adolf Hitler was named chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, ushering in one of the world’s darkest times

 A bi-partisan pair of legislators is working together,  trying to restore power the Department of Transportation once had to prevent unreasonable toll increases. 

Rep. Michael Grimm of New York and Sen. Frank Lautenberg of N.J. created the legislation to help stave the negative impacts of allowing toll agencies to raise tolls however – and by however much – they see fit. The legislation gives the DOT control once again to override outrageous increases.

 Fuel prices during the first two weeks of the month were trending down in most geographic areas of the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy and Information Administration, which publishes weekly assessments of fuel prices.

For the week of December 12, the highest prices for diesel were reported in California, at $4.12 per gallon (including taxes).  The lowest prices were recorded along the  Gulf Coast, at $3.79 per gallon. The overall U.S. average was $3.89, which was down almost 4 cents from the prior week, but up about 66 cents from one year ago.

 A bi-partisan pair of legislators is working together,  trying to restore power the Department of Transportation once had to prevent unreasonable toll increases. 

Rep. Michael Grimm of New York and Sen. Frank Lautenberg of N.J. created the legislation to help stave the negative impacts of allowing toll agencies to raise tolls however – and by however much – they see fit. The legislation gives the DOT control once again to override outrageous increases.

Special points of interest about  December:

· In early Roman calendars, December was the 10th month., until January and February were added.

· The name December comes from the Latin word for 10.

· Until 46 A.D., December  had only 29 days, but that year Julius Caesar added two more to give December  31 days.

· Texas was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845.

· December is Universal Human Rights Month.

· More than 2,300 Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor’s U.S. Naval Base during this month in 1941 when the U.S. was attacked by Japanese pilots.