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.

 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.

Working with TruckersButler is like having a behind-the-scenes, full-time freight dispatch service working exclusively for you. Our primary mission is acting as your freight dispatch advocate — working with brokers on your behalf.  While you are under your current load, you won’t have to worry about finding your next load. The professional freight dispatch team members at TruckersButler are finding loads, negotiating with brokers, and searching for the highest paying jobs for you. You won’t get stuck with the leftovers that no one else wants and you will minimize your deadhead time. And because our freight dispatchers serve the trucking industry day in and day out, they are accustomed to finding the best rates and top companies for you.

Working with the team of professional freight dispatchers at TruckersButler is like having your own concierge service. Our goal is to make your life on the road easier and more profitable. 

Contact your FactorLoads representative today for more details and to sign up!

In Canada, commercial truckers are being incentivized for cutting their fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

Owner/operators and trucking companies there that are working toward greener highways can earn rebates of as much as $2,500 per tractor or trailer.  Improvements that help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gasses include technologies and add-ons that help with tire issues, engine idling and drag resistance. For instance, some of the allowable improvements include low-rolling-resistance tires, automatic tire-inflation devices, side skirts, front fairings, and anti-idling technologies, according to the Manitoba GrEEn (Economically and Environmentally Efficient) Trucking Program.

Manitoba GrEEn Trucking is a four-year-old program created as a joint initiative by Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, The Manitoba Trucking Association and the University of Manitoba’s Transport Institute.

Participants can earn rebates of up to 25% of their improvements, with a $2,500 cap per tractor or trailer, the group said. Last year’s payout was nearly a quarter million dollars, based on improvements and upgrades worth about $13 million, according to the MTA.

What do you think about the program? Would it work here in the US?

Efficient Lighting Saves Energy

Decreasing electrical usage with an efficient lighting system was important to us at Insight Technology/FactorLoads.  We chose a Lutron lighting system, which has three primary functions. First is an automatic shut off capability.  At 5:30 p.m. all the lights automatically turn off, as do all but one of the electrical outlets in each worker’s cubicle. That way, nearly all electronic equipment is shut down every night automatically, including computer monitors, radios and task lights.

The second function of the Lutron system is motion detection.  The entire 12,000 square foot building employs the sensors so that lighting is only provided in places where there are people using it. If there is no movement, the lights shut off automatically.

The third function of the Lutron system is its natural light sensor.  The system senses how much natural light is coming in through the windows and can either brighten or dim lights accordingly.  Even dimming the lights just five percent on a mildly sunny day equates to substantial energy savings.

To help bring in more natural light and reduce the reliance on electricity, the building was constructed with 24 solar tubes (which are like skylights) that bring in light through the roof. The building also has light shelves on each window that sit atop the interior frames and help bounce light deep into the building’s interior.

 

Walls that Help Regulate the Temperature

Our FactorLoads headquarters has one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems available, but no system can work at its optimal levels if the building it not properly insulated.

That’s why our building uses insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for the walls. Basically, the ICFs are eight inches of concrete with an additional two inches of foam on either side of the concrete.

These highly efficient walls hold a temperature for many hours. In warm months, they trap most of the radiant heating from making its way into the building. The heat is retained long into the night, but by morning they have cooled. The walls hold the overnight coolness long into the day.

In winter, the retained heat in the wall helps save from heating the building at night. This simple process evens out temperature swings, thereby lessening the load on heating and cooling units year round.

Because the building features an open ceiling, no Fiberglas insulation could be used. And since the building’s walls are so efficient we had the contractors add more insulation to the roof to insure it would not be a weak link in the chain.  They added 3.5 inches of gravel/tar mix insulation on the roof which holds the warmth in winter and reflects heat away in summer.

Views of Utah’s beautiful Wasatch Mountains were important to our team, as was the use of energy efficient window technology to better enjoy that view. The building employs all highly-efficient double-paned glass that keeps the cold and heat out. The lobby has double sets of doors, helping even out the exchange of air between inside and outside.

The Cost of Green Business

Going green offers a variety of long-term benefits.  In addition to being much better for the environment, it also saves us money in heating and cooling, water, electricity and other expenses.

Knowing we were making a long-term investment meant also understanding that the initial cost of building green was higher than traditional construction.

Now that we’ve been in our space for a couple of years, we clearly see the benefits of building green. As a case in point, the 5,500-square-foot building right next door where we were formerly housed costs about $600 per month in the winter on gas for heating and electrical for lighting and running equipment.  “Our building is more than twice the size of the other, yet we’re spending only about $800 for our electrical – used for both heating and lighting.” Saving money and doing something good for the environment, after all, are what going green is all about.
 

Nitrogen versus air in tires

Does the cost of filling your tires with nitrogen outweigh the benefits? Probably not.

Lots of experts (and plenty of people who are selling nitrogen) make consistent and valid points about the benefits of filling your tires with nitrogen instead of regular old (and generally free) air.

The pros:

• While air is about 78% nitrogen, it also contains oxygen – as much as 21% -- and water vapor.  And the water in oxygen helps contribute to “oxidative aging” in tires that can negatively impact tire life. Water inside your tires can corrode aluminum rims or rust steel rims.
• Tires for big rigs cost about $480 when you factor in two retreads. The average life span for a truck tire is about 270,000 miles. Using nitrogen instead of air reportedly helps the casings from failing prematurely and allows for multiple retreads. One source says by using oxygen, the tire life can be extended as much as 25%. That means your tires could take you as much as 330,000 miles for a savings of about $120 per tire.
• When it comes to nitrogen, size matters. Here’s why: nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules. That means tires leak less of the gas over time. Therefore, tires filled with nitrogen tend to retain their pressure levels better and longer than those filled with regular air.
• Nitrogen heats up more slowly than air, which means your tires are running cooler. Not only does that help with wear and tear, it also helps lower your risks of having a high-speed blowout during hot weather.
• One fleet test in Canada showed that tires filled with nitrogen helped with fuel economy – improving it by 3.3% as well as substantial improvements in tread life mentioned above.

The cons:
• If you fill with nitrogen, you should never “top off” with air.  By adding regular air, you’d lose most of the benefits of nearly-pure nitrogen because the oxygen molecules contain water vapor and because the oxygen molecules are smaller which means they can leak more easily.
• Nitrogen is more difficult to find than ordinary air.
• Nitrogen is more expensive than air. Some service stations or tire dealers charge as much as $15 for car tires filled with nitrogen.  Filling truck tires will certainly cost more.

So what do you think? Share your thoughts or experiences with nitrogen-filled tires here:

Without our wheels, none of us is going to get very far.  And because so many of us base our living around driving, keeping our tires in top shape is a very important consideration.

The key to saving wear and tear on these expensive necessities is keeping them properly inflated.  Most tires are stamped with the proper pounds per square inch (PSI) limits right on them.  Additionally, your truck manufacturer offers specifications on the proper PSI based on the weight of the loads you are hauling.
But in every case, properly inflating your tires for the vehicle application, vehicle loading and driving conditions will help keep you safer by maximizing traction, improving vehicle handling, improving your fuel economy and helping maintain tire life.

There is such a thing as too much air:

• Overinflating your tires may help improve your fuel economy to a degree because it reduces rolling resistance.
• Overinflated tires do not fare as well on bumps as normally-inflated tires do. They can damage more easily while also giving you a much bumpier ride.
• If you overinflate the tires beyond their maximum pressure ratings you are courting trouble. The tire may bulge out at the treads. This creates a dangerous situation that increases the wear on the center of the tire and reduced your contact with the road.
Too little air is no good, too:
• Just as overinflating is bad, under-inflating is probably more common and also not good for your tires.  Too little air pressure for your load means your tires have more rolling resistance because they are making too much contact with the road. That’s a killer for fuel economy.
• Hot, hot, hot! Keeping your tires under-inflated causes the sidewalls to flex more. That pushes up tire temperature which can lead to blowouts or other tire failures.
• When your rig is carrying heavy loads, under-inflated tires are not carrying their share of the weight. If you notice changes in your steering, braking or alignment, check your tires – inflating them properly may be a quick and easy fix.
• If you’re cost conscious, you care about tire life. Under-inflated tires wear out faster – think in percentages: 10% less tire life for every 10% of under-inflation.  

Know when to change out tires:

• With a typical truck tire lasting for 270,000 miles or more, it’s also important to know when to change them. Older tires take more effort to maintain. Because rubber become more porous with age, older tires tend to leak more air than newer tires. When you get tired of constantly checking and filling leaky old tires, it might be time to replace them.
(Note: see related blog content on the pros and cons of filling your tires with nitrogen instead of air).
(Note: see related blog content on tire pressure.)
Got any tire maintenance tips to share? Add them here:

Fuel Saving Tips

Slow down, tighten up, shut it down and keep the tires inflated.  These are four important ways to help you cut down on your diesel consumption when you’re out on the open roads.  With the typical summer spike in fuel prices, these tips might help you save a few bucks:

• Reducing your speed translates into burning less diesel. Cutting down from a top speed of 70 mph to 60 mph means it will take you a little longer to arrive at your destination but your tank of diesel will last about one fifth longer, experts say.  
• Keeping your trailer close to your cab cuts down on drag. Experts say that for every inch greater than 30 separating the trailer from the truck, your fuel mileage will decrease by one tenth of a mile per gallon. The more aerodynamic your truck, the better your mileage will be.
• Using a heater instead of keeping your trailer running on diesel when you are resting during cold weather will save you plenty of fuel and helps the environment.
• Tire inflation – keeping your tires properly inflated to the manufacturers’ specifications is critical to maximizing fuel savings.
• The unknowns-until-you-try-them: oil additives and other fuel-saving gadgets.

Got any tips or tricks you use that helps with your fuel economy? Send them our way for posting here: