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AMERIT FLEET SOLUTIONS AND FLEET FINANCIALS PRESENT C.R. England Optimizes Fuel Ef ciency EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOP FLEETS IN NORTH AMERICA VOL. 3 WHY YOU SHOULD DEMAND ACCURATE FLEET DATA CLEANER HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK TECHNOLOGIES ARE COMING FERRELLGAS PUSHES PAST WINTER PROPANE CHALLENGES How

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Page 1: C.R. England

AMERIT FLEET SOLUTIONS AND FLEET FINANCIALS PRESENT

C.R. EnglandOptimizes Fuel Effi ciency

EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOP FLEETS IN NORTH AMERICAVOL. 3

WHY YOU SHOULD DEMAND

ACCURATE FLEET DATA

CLEANER HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK

TECHNOLOGIES ARE COMING

FERRELLGAS PUSHES PASTWINTER PROPANE CHALLENGES

How

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LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM2 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

4

16

18

4 Leading Highlights

8 Custom Maintenance: What You Need, Where You Need It Through purpose-built Fleet Service Centers and other custom maintenance programs, Amerit Fleet Solutions offers an answer to a frequent fl eet challenge in how to effectively maintain a sprawling fl eet.

10 How C.R. England Optimizes Fuel Effi ciency To utilize various aerodynamic modifi cations and other fuel reduction strategies, C.R. England carefully researches, tests, pilots, and observes all aspects to any project before and after implementing.

14 Demanding Accurate Fleet Data from Third-Party Suppliers Amerit Fleet Solutions outlines the importance of demanding comprehensive fl eet data from outside vendors. Don’t get caught with a “black hole” in your fl eet data and undermine your fl eet’s performance.

16 Ferrellgas Pushes Past Winter Challenges While delivering propane in the snow is not uncommon for many Ferrellgas drivers, this winter brought extra challenges to the industry with high demand, road closures, and supply issues affecting routes.

18 State of Clean Technologies in the Heavy-Duty Market CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel provides a breakdown of heavy-duty powertrains and takes a look at where hybrids, natural gas, di-methyl ether and renewable fuels currently stand.

CONTENTS

10

Page 5: C.R. England

WORRY-FREE FLEET MAINTENANCE

Business and Editorial Offi ce

3520 Challenger St., Torrance, CA 90503

Phone: 310-533-2400 Fax: 310-533-2503

E-mail: info@leadingfl eets.com

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM

Ask anybody on the street these

days and they will tell you a story

of how diffi cult and dangerous

this winter has been. When our country

is hit with record storms from early fall

to spring it makes the little details of or-

dinary life much more challenging. And

if life was hard for the average person,

operating a fl eet in these conditions can

be a down-right magic trick!

I am proud that Amerit is often the

unseen hero in challenging times. As a

dedicated ally and partner, our mission

is to support our clients’ fl eets as they

push to restore or continue services to

communities hardest hit by the savage

storms. We know fi rst hand that extreme

conditions never sleep, and so neither

do we. When the weather gets tough,

our team gets going.

I would like to recognize the efforts of

the Amerit teams across the 20+ states

hit hardest by storms this winter. They

worked tirelessly around the clock to re-

pair and return downed vehicles to ser-

vice, keep generator pools running and

they even delivered fuel to fl eet vehicles

when no one else would.

At Amerit, we pride ourselves on our

outstanding dedication to servicing our

customers. It is our mission to make the

challenging business of running a fl eet

in the worst winter on record, a little

easier. The Amerit employees who went

above and beyond the call embody the

very best of what we all aspire to: dedi-

cation, service, excellence.

This issue of Leading Fleets is packed

full of information and articles that we

hope will act as a resource for you as

you make decisions for the coming

year and beyond. On page 16 you can

read about how Ferrellgas managed

its propane delivery fl eet to meet the

record demands this winter and chal-

lenges the company faced with diesel

fuel gelling. Then, the cover story on

page 10 takes a deep dive into how

C.R. England is reducing its fuel use

through aerodynamics, idle reduction,

and driver recognition.

If the hardships this winter have made

you and your company think about the

economic impacts of global climate

change, you will fi nd that the article

from John Boesel, President and CEO,

CALSTART on page 18 provides some

useful information about developments

in clean fuel technologies. And if you

are interested in learning more about

Amerit Fleet Solutions and how we re-

duce downtime and alleviate mainte-

nance burdens, take a look at our ar-

ticle on page 8. LF

LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014 3

Unseen Hero in Winter Storms

CEO VIEWPOINT

By Dan WilliamsCEO, Amerit Fleet Solutions

Page 6: C.R. England

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM4 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

In two electric initiatives, Fe-dEx Express will test fuel cell

range extenders from Plug Power and Nissan’s electric compact cargo van, e-NV200.

Fuel Cell Range ExtendersFedEx Express is expected to nearly double the amount of service territory of some of its electric delivery trucks once Plug Power Inc., a power so-lutions company based out of Latham, N.Y., completes development of its fuel cell range extenders.

In a $3 million project fund-ed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Plug Power is develop-ing hydrogen fuel cell range extenders for 20 FedEx Express electric delivery trucks.

Smith Electric Vehicles is also a project partner. The Smith all-electric trucks currently boast about an 80-mile charge. FedEx Express has been using Smith’s Newton Step Van in the U.S. since mid-2012.

The fi nished range extender will power the trucks with lithi-um-ion batteries and a 10-kWh hydrogen fuel cell system.

“Early customer experiences with electric delivery vehicles have been overwhelmingly pos-itive,” said Andy Marsh, Plug Power CEO. “But only 1% of these vehicles are electric to-day; we think that this range extender provides the added distance and quick refueling capabilities needed to really grow this market.”

Battery-ElectricCompact Cargo VanFedEx Express will begin test-ing the Nissan e-NV200 under real-world conditions in its Washington, D.C. service area. This test marks the fi rst time the vehicle will run in North America. FedEx Express and Nissan have conducted simi-lar e-NV200 tests with fl eets in Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

The fi eld tests will subject the van to routine requirements of a delivery vehicle. The results will be used to help determine the viability of using an EV in this role in the U.S.

Rotating the Nissan e-NV200 into the delivery fl eet is part of the FedEx EarthSmart pro-gram, a global sustainabil-ity platform designed to guide the company’s environmental commitment in the communi-ties where it operates. For Nis-san, this effort aligns with its

“Blue Citizenship” corporate social responsibility program with a focus on increasing the number of vehicles that emit no greenhouse gases by ex-ploring additional vehicle seg-ments that EV technology may be applied.

FedEx Express currently has 167 electric vehicles and 365 hybrid electric vehicles in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and China, as well as the units that will be deployed in Brazil starting in January. By the end of FedEx’s fi scal year (May 31, 2014), the company said it plans to increase these numbers to 222 and 393, re-spectively. From 2005 to 2012, the introduction of this type of vehicle in the fl eet enabled the company to save nearly 2.4 mil-lion liters of fuel.

Nissan e-NV200 is scheduled to begin mass production later this year in Europe, according to the delivery company.

LEADING HIGHLIGHTS

FedEx Express Testing

Two Electric Technologies

Photo courtesy of Nissan

This FedEx Express wrapped Nissan e-NV200 was on display at the 2014 Washington Auto Show.

Page 7: C.R. England

Jerome Webber, vice president of global fl eet operations for

AT&T, received Fleet Finan-cials’ 2013 Fleet Executive of the Year award, which recog-nizes exceptional leadership by managers who have a title of vice president or higher and/or have other responsibilities beyond fl eet.

The award was presented during the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) 2013 Annual Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. The 2013 Fleet Executive of the Year award is exclusively sponsored by The CEI Group and Fleet Financials magazine.

Webber provides oversight of

AT&T’s enterprise-wide policy and operating effectiveness for the company’s domestic and in-ternational fl eet operations. He oversees acquisitions, end-to-end lifecycle management of ve-hicles and wheeled equipment, fuel management, and provides direction for the development and implementation of the de-ployment of alternative fuels. He also handles nationwide emergency vehicle and genera-tor staging, deployment, and vehicle fueling during natural disaster recovery efforts.

A panel of industry judges evaluated submissions for the award using several criteria, in-cluding cost-saving initiatives,

policy setting, creation of in-novative programs, and cultiva-tion of fl eet manager training and management.

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014 5

AT&T’s Webber Named 2013

Fleet Executive of the Year

The AmeriGas “Airborne Team,” a propane delivery

volunteer program that has been around for more than a decade, sent 51 volunteers who had put in 765 days assisting 31 districts in need across 15 states, as of mid-February.

Generally, service techs de-ployed for Airborne assistance are those able to drive a bobtail and assist districts in dire need with deliveries. This year, for the fi rst time, area safety advisors also pitched in. “We have more than 40 area safe-ty advisors who have been taken off their regular duties, and those who can drive were put into trucks,” said AmeriGas Supply Chain Vice Presi-dent Kevin Rumbelow.

This is the fi rst year Airborne employees were deployed as a result of supply issues, according

to Rumbelow. In some states, dis-tricts only partially fi lled custom-ers’ tanks to provide a limited amount of propane to as many customers as possible. When more supply became available, return trips to fi nish fi lling those tanks were added to an already packed delivery schedule, creat-ing a need for help in making those deliveries.

Attracting Airborne volunteers can be chal-lenging, Rumbelow said. In the past, there hadn’t been any incentives to reward drivers or to com-pensate district managers who sent their team members across the country to assist. This year, the program was enhanced to include a bonus for volunteers who leave their home locations for two weeks or longer — and a budget adjust-ment for the districts sending staff.

AmeriGas ‘Airborne Team’ Delivers

Propane to Hard-Hit Areas

The Toledo, Ohio AmeriGas Airborne Team.

At right, Jerome Webber, vice president of

global fl eet operations for AT&T, received

the 2013 Fleet Executive of the Year,

presented at the Automotive Fleet & Leasing

Association 2013 Annual Conference. Ed

Bobit, founder of Automotive Fleet magazine,

congratulates Webber on the win.

Photo courtesy of Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association

Photo courtesy of AmeriGas

Page 8: C.R. England

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM6 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

SUPERVALU and Con-way Freight recently announced

new compressed natural gas (CNG) additions to their over-the-road truck fl eets.

SUPERVALU Adds 35 CNG Trucks and Fast-Fill StationFood for approximately 500 gro-cery stores in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Wash-ington, D.C., and North Caroli-na, is now delivered by a fl eet of CNG Class 8 Volvo trucks. The fl eet of 35 trucks is based out of SUPERVALU’s Mechanicsville, Va., distribution center.

To power the new trucks, Tril-lium CNG, a provider of CNG fueling solutions, built and will operate a fast-fi ll CNG station at the Mechanicsville distribu-tion center. Utilizing Trillium’s fast-fi ll hydraulic intensifi er, the new station will fuel trucks at a rate of 8-10 gallons per minute.

“This project is not only good for the environment, but also for the bottom line, as each natural gas-powered truck will cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and reduce fuel usage for our fl eet,” said Mike Lech, vice president of logistics for SUPERVALU’s eastern region.

The conversion to natural gas is expected to reduce the fl eet’s annual oil consumption by more than 1 million gallons and result in 1,300 fewer tons of GHGs. In addition to the en-vironmental benefi ts, the new CNG fl eet and fast-fi ll station are expected to reduce SUPER-VALU’s operating costs due to

the lower cost of CNG fuel.Volvo Trucks designed the

new trucks specifi cally to meet SUPERVALU’s grocery haul-ing needs, and were all built at Volvo’s Dublin, Va. plant.

SUPERVALU operates 20 distribution centers across the United States and has slightly more than 400 trucks in its na-tional company-owned fl eet, excluding its Save-A-Lot net-work that operates separately. The Mechanicsville distribu-tion center has a total of 105 tractors in its fl eet, and has set a goal of converting approxi-mately 65% of its total fl eet to natural gas by 2015.

Con-way Freight’sNew Tractors to Provide Operating ExperienceCon-way Freight has added two Freightliner Cascadia 113 natural gas-powered tractors to its fl eet. These two tractors — equipped with the Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine — add to the two CNG medium-duty trucks operating on a test basis in Chicago that the com-pany acquired two years ago.

“We’re dipping our toes,” said Gary Frantz, Con-way Freight

director of corporate commu-nications. He added that the company took delivery of these two new CNG tractors to gain operational experience for heavy-duty, real-world fl eet op-erations. The new units will run in Con-way’s nightly, line-haul network in the Texas area.

“We believe natural gas has a viable future for heavy-duty commercial freight operations like ours,” said Randy Mullett, Con-way’s vice president of gov-ernment relations and public affairs. “As the infrastructure matures and the units become more cost competitive, we ex-pect the opportunities for ex-panded use will increase.”

Freightliner began production of the Freightliner Cascadia 113 natural gas-powered tractors in August 2013, and these Con-way Freight units are the fi rst Casca-dia day cabs with factory-installed CNG tanks to hit the road.

“We’re proud to see our fi rst Cascadia CNG tractors with factory-installed fuel tanks join the ranks of one of the most reputable, top fl eets in the nation,” said Steve Mignardi, Freightliner Trucks director of national accounts.

Fleets Test CNG Waters

SUPERVALU now has 35 new CNG Class 8 Volvo tractors operating out of Virginia.

LEADING HIGHLIGHTSPhoto courtesy of SUPERVALU

Page 9: C.R. England

Crete Carrier Corp., a pro-vider of truckload and lo-

gistics services, and its refriger-ated division, Shaffer Trucking, announced in late December 2013, approval from the De-partment of Veterans Affairs to provide on-the-job training to veterans and other eligible applicants. This 12-month pro-gram provides approved vet-erans and other eligible appli-cants access to GI Bill benefi ts.

According to Crete Carrier Driver Development Manager Issac Phillips, with this program in place service members tran-sitioning from the military will not only receive truck training but may be eligible to receive additional compensation from their GI Bill.

The program is coupled with Crete Carrier’s “Patriot Fleet,” which launched in 2013 and is aimed at recognizing driv-ers who served in the military. “This program, along with the Patriot Fleet are two ways Crete and Shaffer are giving back and supporting the men and women that served this coun-try,” Phillips said.

The Patriot Fleet is now at a to-tal of 10 honorary trucks, which are black International ProS-tar tractors with wrap graphics, which include decals to salute the U.S. Armed Forces and custom-ized dog tags that list the drivers’ military branches, years served, and miles with the company. The Patriot Fleet drivers collec-tively represent more than 130 years of experience in the armed

forces, more than 100 years with Crete Carrier, and more than 20 million miles driven.

Crete Carrier is widely known for its veteran hiring and re-cently earned the 2014 Military Friendly Employer title by Vic-tory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse. Crete Carrier, along with its Shaffer Trucking and Hunt Transpor-tation operations, said they ag-gressively seek to hire military talent and have found that hiring from the military com-

munity gives them a strategic competitive advantage. “I’m honored that our family of com-panies has been recognized, yet again, for our dedication to hiring military personnel,” said Tonn Ostergard, Crete Carrier president and CEO.

The title is given to the top 100 companies surveyed, based on criteria including: the strength of company military recruiting

efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military ser-vice, retention programs, and company policies on National Guard and Reserve service.

Nearly 30% of Crete’s em-ployees are veterans.

“As a company, we feel privi-leged to offer employment to those transitioning from the military,” Phillips said. “Veterans can feel stranded once back in civilian life, and it is important that we offer them a solid career with long-term benefi ts.”

Crete and Shaffer have re-ceived numerous awards as a national leader in supporting current and former members of the military. This year alone, Crete Carrier received the American Legion Employer of Veterans Award for the “Large Business” category and was recognized as a fi nalist for Ci-vilianJobs.com’s Most Valuable Employers for Military list.

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014 7

Crete Carrier to Start Veteran

Driver Training Program

Crete Carrier now has 10 tractors in its Patriot Fleet, which is aimed at recognizing drivers who served in the military. The truck wrap decals include customized dog tags that list the drivers’ military branches, years served, and miles with the company.

Photo courtesy of Crete Carrier

Page 10: C.R. England

Today’s fl eets all face the same challenge: How do you maintain your assets when

you are not able to use in-house technicians?

The answer is typically to use a large number of small, local ser-vice providers. This model causes many challenges though, since the system drains management resources and creates signifi cant administrative burdens. Priority is often an issue. Quality and consis-tency can be poor and diffi cult to track. Standardized, accurate data is impossible to get or may require manual entry. And costs are high.

Amerit addresses these issues with a simple solution: Tell us what you need and where you need it and we will build a solution that addresses your requirements — anywhere in the country.

We believe every customer, no matter who they are or where they are, have locations with a problem, whether it is poor qual-ity, high prices, low priority, long wait times for service, etc.

Our focus is on solving those problems by creating a service model that provides quality, pri-ority, accuracy and reliability while reducing costs. How do we

do this? By deploying a mix of our four service platforms.

1. Fleet Service Centers: Our Amerit Fleet Service centers are purpose-built specifi cally to pro-vide dedicated services to a small number of local fl eets. Like hav-ing your own garage right around the corner, the Amerit Fleet Ser-vice Centers bring you the prior-ity, quality and comprehensive services that your fl eet demands.

2. Mobile Service Centers: A vir-tual rolling garage, the Amerit Mo-bile Service Center (MSC) is ideal for fl eets that are either decentral-ized or located in areas that are

WORRY-FREE FLEET MAINTENANCE

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM8 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

Through our four service platforms, Amerit Fleet Solutions addresses the fl eet pain point of managing a large number of maintenance providers and local shops. Tell us what you need and where, and we will build a maintenance solution for your fl eet.

Amerit’s CustomAmerit’s CustomMaintenance Programs:Maintenance Programs:What You Need, Where You Need It

Page 11: C.R. England

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014 9

management burdens and risks.

How Many UnitsDo I Need?We are often asked “How many units do I need to have for you to develop a custom solution for me?” The answer is surprisingly few. A dedicated solution can be economical with as few as 20 assets in some circumstances.

Amerit actively works with some of the largest fl eets in the coun-try that are looking for similar solutions, so we are often able to match a small number of custom-ers together to economically de-velop a solution even where each customer has only a handful of as-sets. For this reason we encourage prospects to bring to us their prob-lem areas, regardless of how many assets they have at that location.

How is AmeritAble to Do This? Some customers believe this is “too good to be true,” and ask how Amerit is able to do this prof-itably. The answer is our footprint. Amerit has more than 1,300 tech-nicians supporting assets at 500-plus locations.

We have technicians and man-agers in most markets today and this scale means we can cost effec-tively expand. By leveraging our footprint, we are able to go wher-ever our customers need us.

Highly regarded for our ability to address customer problem ar-eas anywhere in the nation, Amerit has become the largest provider of dedicated contract maintenance in the United States by providing in-novative, customized and compre-hensive fl eet maintenance services on a local and national scale. LF

not supported by a garage. Each MSC is built and equipped to ser-vice all your assets right in your yard. Each MSC is also equipped with a tablet or laptop for instant, real-time data entry and accuracy, so you have more visibility and control over your remote assets.

3. On-Site Workforce: The Amerit On-Site Workforce plat-form brings our technical and workforce management experts into your existing garages. With our nationwide management structure and professional recruit-ing team, Amerit brings standard-ization across multiple locations.

Through hiring the right techs, we reduce the amount of expen-sive outsourced services by pro-viding 98% of your fl eets’ needs on-site. We will also reduce the burdens and risks from hiring, training and managing a techni-cal workforce, allowing your man-agement team to focus on driving your core business forward.

4. Amerit-Vended Maintenance

Management: For large, complex fl eets with equipment in a few as-sets in remote areas, this service deploys our team of best-in-class maintenance managers to man-age third-party services. Our team will ensure quality and consis-tency, optimize warranty capture, and alleviate managerial burdens of reviewing, scheduling and ne-gotiating services.

Designing the PerfectService Program:FleetPoint Analysis SystemBuilding a custom service struc-ture begins with a precise system that takes the guesswork out of confi guring the perfect service solution. With our FleetPoint Analysis System, Amerit is able to accurately measure the require-ments of even the most varied and complex fl eets.

Beginning locally, we work

closely with local fl eet managers to gain a deep understanding of their situation, challenges and concerns. Through these meet-ings we seek a clear understand-ing of the operating environment including downtimes, usage pat-terns, and other regional and environmental conditions. Us-ing a labor algorithm developed through our experience in main-taining more than 100,000 assets, Amerit analyzes the customer’s fl eet list to determine labor re-quirements needed to maintain the asset, taking into account im-portant variables like age, mile-age and the application.

Amerit then maps where the workload is needed and identifi es groups of assets that can be eco-nomically serviced by a combina-tion of Amerit’s service platforms. We then present this solution to our customer detailing the size of the workforce, suggested work schedules and any other unique solutions we think will benefi t your fl eet.

Developing aNational SolutionWhen we work with a new client, the logical place for us to start ser-vices is to look at regions or loca-tions where the fl eet is receiving poor services or is experiencing challenges. Building a solution that solves those problem areas is “phase one.” For companies that are experiencing multiple trouble spots, are looking to standardize services across more locations, or are looking for savings on a larger scale, we grow this model to ana-lyze larger areas, state-by-state or region-by-region.

Connecting service programs in this way — either across a region or across the country — will de-liver greater increases in perfor-mance, quality and standardization while decreasing costs, downtime,

WORRY-FREE FLEET MAINTENANCE

For information on how Amerit Fleet Solutions can help your fl eet, contact Bob Brauer at (714) 412-9523 or bbrauer@ameritfl eet.com.

Page 12: C.R. England

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM10 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

C.R. England, one of the larg-est temperature-controlled carriers in the world, con-

tinues to take stock and critically analyze new ways to reduce fuel consumption. From TrailerTails, an aerodynamic technology, to opening an IdleAir facility in Texas and celebrating the 11th giveaway in its Harley-Davidson Fuel Effi -ciency program, C.R. England has implemented several initiatives to save on fuel costs, lower emissions, and promote driver satisfaction throughout the company.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, C.R. England pursues these appli-cations to help streamline its fl eet of about 4,500 trucks — nearly 90% of which are Freightliners — and approximately 8,300 trailers. The company offers multiple carrier services, from intermodal to long-haul, regional, and dedicated.

TrailerTails:Research, Test, PilotC.R. England meticulously re-searches and tests any technology it adopts. When the company was approached in 2010 by ATDynam-ics, creator of TrailerTails, within a year of preliminary research C.R. England representatives traveled down to Texas to observe a fl eet using the truck add-on. The aero-dynamic product attaches to the back of the trailer to help minimize drag, thereby re-ducing fuel usage.

According to C.R. Eng-land Director of Fuel Al-len Nielsen, the company recognized certain fl eet benefi ts and began run-ning controlled testing in 2011 through what’s called an SAE Type-4 test. The TrailerTrail testing

involved dedicated trucks and trailers, which included equally weighted blocks in the back for a more real-world approach. One truck was considered the control truck, while the other included the TrailerTails, the test truck.

Although fuel benefi ts were found in the 2011 testing, C.R. England held off on adding the TrailerTails due to challenges in fl eet makeup, which made the

time to achieve an ROI longer than what was de-sired at the time. Later in 2011, the company adapt-ed a new testing protocol and decided to take an-other stab.

The second test, a SAE Type-2 test where each truck has a removable 12-gallon fuel cell turned on via an onboard switch

COVER STORY

By Kelsey Nolan

C.R. England continuously and carefully tests and adopts truck modifi cations and other fuel-saving programs and technologies to lower its fuel use, and increase productivity and driver satisfaction. Its latest initiative: TrailerTails.

Optimizes Fuel Effi ciencyHow C.R. EnglandHow C.R. England

Allen Nielsen, C.R. England Director of Fuel

Page 13: C.R. England

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014 11

by the driver, was done in 2011 and again in early 2012. In this test the trucks travel six, 40-mile segments of driving. At the beginning and end of each 40-mile test drive, the fuel cells are weighed. The dif-ference in weight on the control truck’s fuel cell is then compared to the test truck, giving a result that lowers the risk of driver behavior and other variables from tainting the results.

For the TrailerTails test run, C.R. England saw close to a 3% increase in fuel effi ciency with the Type-2 test, but still faced challenges with fl eet makeup before moving for-ward with the technology until the end of 2013, when the company kicked off the use of the technol-ogy with a pilot phase. C.R. Eng-land ordered 200 TrailerTails from ATDynamics — 100 of which had been installed as of this writing.

Nielsen explains that the logistics of the technology is quite simple: Once installed, the driver pulls a lever and the TrailerTail is de-ployed. “If the tail is not deployed, it’s not saving us money,” he says. “It’s one of the risks you take when you rely on the driver to make sure it’s deployed.” ATDynamics has an auto-deployment feature so the TrailerTails will deploy once the truck reaches 20 or 30 miles per hour, but C.R. England instead takes extra time with drivers to en-sure the tails are used.

To open up the trailer doors, the tail folds in automatically when the doors are opened.

While C.R. England has proven a fuel benefi t with the Trailer-Tails, the company will track over the next three to six months the in-service benefi t, which can be a lot harder than controlled testing. “More than fuel effi ciency, we want to make sure these do not create additional frustrations out on the road for our drivers,” Nielsen says, adding that they will observe any

maintenance issues as well. Other fuel reduction strategies

C.R. England utilizes are aerody-namic wheel covers currently fi t-ted on approximately 1,000 trucks. “We’re constantly testing new trac-tor/trailer combinations, and dif-ferent aerodynamic devices have been a big part of our company,” Nielsen says.

The wheel covers, which help with aerodynamics around the wheel and tire, are generating be-tween .75% and 1% fuel savings

for C.R. England. The company is looking to put additional branded wheel covers on the fl eet’s new trailers that the company is pur-chasing later this year. Truck skirts have also saved the company about 3-5% in fuel costs.

No Idling, With ComfortIn February, C.R. England offi -cially opened a new IdleAir facility with 24 stations at its Laredo termi-nal, which was chosen as a pilot be-cause of high temperatures almost year round.

The purpose of IdleAir is to ac-commodate drivers who would oth-erwise idle in order to stay warm or cool while they wait to reload or simply take a break — and gives them access to amenities such as Internet, TV, and other entertain-ment options.

Every time drivers use an IdleAir station, they save a couple dollars an hour depending on the current fuel cost. “We fi gure every hour a truck idles is about a gallon of fuel,” Nielsen says. With the cost of fuel upwards of $4 per gallon, IdleAir costs C.R. England less than $2 per gallon. “That’s a huge savings for us,” he says, adding that it’s also helpful for hours of service so drivers spend less time search-ing for a truck stop.

In other idle reduction efforts, C.R. England requests that driv-

(Top) C.R. England conducted several controlled tests on the TrailerTrails before eventually starting a pilot phase and purchasing 200 of them at the end of December 2013. (Above) To give a more real-world effect in controlled testing, the trailers are fi lled with equally weighted and distributed blocks.

Photos courtesy of C.R. England

Page 14: C.R. England

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM12 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

ers not idle in company terminals. C.R. England has installed cab heaters in its trucks for the last 14 years to help reduce idling when the temperatures turn cold. With a drastically reduced cost over APUs, cab heaters help C.R. England keep idle time low as well as help retain a tight, 3-year replacement cycle on most tractors.

The company is also looking at buying additional technology this year that would include a thermo-stat similar to a central air system in a home, in which the truck will turn on and off as necessary to keep the cab at a desired tempera-ture. This would keep the driver comfortable without having to keep the engine on.

In addition to aerodynamic and anti-idling efforts, C.R. England is testing out two Freightliner CNG trucks in Salt Lake City that were deployed last February and has been running fi ve Kenworth HDPI LNG trucks in California since 2010. In fact, also in February, C.R. England signed a multi-year LNG bulk fueling agreement with Shell to continue support for its LNG trucks in California.

RewardingDrivers, CreativelyC.R. England adopted a quarterly Harley-Davidson Fuel Effi ciency Recognition program in 2011. This Harley giveaway presents a large — and fun — incentive for top C.R. England drivers. The latest give-away in January 2014 marked the company’s 11th Harley giveaway.

Nielsen says that while C.R. Eng-land values the idea of a fuel effi -ciency recognition program, with so many different carrier services it was originally diffi cult to make it fair across all drivers. “We de-termined what we thought was a good MPG and idle level that most drivers could achieve, and based on that, drivers would gain entries

into the drawing,” he explains. Each driver can earn up to six

entries per quarter if they have been with the company since the start of that given quarter. From the entries, fi ve drivers are ran-domly selected and brought to Salt Lake City, where each driver is highlighted at the event and given gift bags with items valued between $500 and $1000.

For the grand fi nale, each driver chooses a key out of a hat and who-ever draws the key that starts the Harley, wins.

After each giveaway, the com-pany issues a press release and includes an announcement in the company’s internal newsletter. Ad-ditionally, the company congratu-lates the winners via its onboard computer system from Qualcomm. At one point, a winner’s photo with the Harley even made it to a Times Square billboard in New York City.

Drivers are able to stay involved in the competition since they can

track their own statistics by logging onto the company website. The website also includes effi cient driv-ing tips and past Harley winners.

Of course, with so many driv-ers, it’s hard to determine to what degree the program is having an effect. “It’s diffi cult to gauge how many of them are really trying, and I’m sure it ebbs and fl ows,” Nielsen says. “But every time we bring in fi ve new drivers, they tell us they are working hard and hoping to get the Harley.”

According to Brandon Harri-son, C.R. England’s COO, C.R. England offers other reward in-centives including a quarterly Mil-lion Miler program, Driver of the Month and Driver of the Year, as well as support offi ce employee recognition, pay-for-performance in which drivers who hit certain thresholds in safety and service have an opportunity to make more money, and most recently, a creative recognition program.

Harrison explains that the cre-ative program was born recently after two drivers submitted a rap — yes, rap — that they wrote on the road and recorded at home. After C.R. England got wind of the rap, the company recognized the duo’s talent and asked them to perform in Salt Lake City. That performance kicked off a “creative” program.

After drivers submit their work, other employees go online and vote for who they think has the best art or project. The company then recognizes the best submis-sions. “We’ve seen some really, really neat projects and we’re en-couraged by the driver feedback we’ve gotten,” Harrison says.

Company Advanceswith TechnologyC.R. England is implementing new safety compliance tracking and other safety software investments, but also sticks to a tried and true

COVER STORY

IdleAir is a third-party company that alleviates the need to idle during driver downtime and provides amenities such as Internet, cable television and other entertainment options. At C.R. England’s Laredo, Texas terminal, the company has 24 IdleAir stations.

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LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

practice: keeping safety a daily fo-cus. “Safety training is something we evaluate on an on-going basis. We look at it day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month,” Har-rison explains.

C.R. England’s driver safety program starts with the company driver schools and is an ongoing process and focus throughout a driver’s career with C.R. England. The driver schools also keep in line with ensuring that drivers are using effi cient driving practices.

Harrison explains that C.R. Eng-land gives drivers comprehensive written and verbal tests, driving evaluations, and a number of other safety items and curriculum. Plus, each driver is provided a monthly safety video, created by a profes-sional in-house media team. The videos can be accessed online or at any C.R. England terminal.

A new Learning Management System (LMS) allows the company to administer curriculum at any point and it enables C.R. England to track compliance — making sure drivers are following up with the curriculum the company is-sues. Management has access to how drivers score on these tests and the LMS provides touch-points for what areas need to be addressed. In order to assess what kind of as-sistance drivers need, safety man-agers have been strategically posi-tioned throughout the country in areas where there is high density for driver support and evaluations.

According to Harrison, many safety tech invest-ments have been made, such as critical event re-porting and a safety work bench which allows safety managers to stay on top of the critical events and coach drivers.

Additionally, in-cab nav-igation, roll stability on tractors, and speed gov-

ernance have become crucial for company safety goals.

Technology has also aided the company’s maintenance effi cien-cies. Virtual Technician, a pro-gram developed by Detroit Diesel, is an on-board diagnostic program that allows C.R. England to run diagnostics on its tractors while they are out on the road. One ad-vantage of Virtual Technician is that it shows the company dealer networks and their schedules. “It

shows us not only what’s wrong, but also the best way to minimize down-time for drivers.”

With fi ve full-service maintenance terminals throughout the country, C.R. England tries to funnel as much activity and equipment through those terminals as pos-sible. “We, like every oth-

er carrier, have gaps in our net-work; so we can’t get every piece of equipment into our mainte-nance terminals in the case of an unexpected mechanical failure,” Harrison says.

To monitor the equipment individually, C.R. England also uses telematics on the trailers in addition to Qualcomm units and satellite tracking in tractors. Plus, customers can rest assured about the integrity of their cargo, thanks to C.R. England giving them the ability to track refrigerator tem-peratures and access this informa-tion for their shipments.

With its commitment to fuel effi -ciency and fl eet sustainability, and a focus on drivers from the point of hire to the millionth mile and beyond, C.R. England is able to maintain its customer service and employee satisfaction while taking a load off its bottom line. LF

13

BrandonHarrision, C.R. England COO

In a driver-focused effort to reduce fuel use, C.R. England implemented in 2011 a quarterly Harley-Davidson Fuel Effi ciency Recognition program, in which drivers compete to win the keys of a Harley hog.

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Captive operations pro-vide fl eet managers and leadership with a high

degree of control and visibility. The management of employees or outsourced labor/contrac-tors through standard processes, training, and mandatory inter-action with a fl eet management system (FMS) yields the kind of dashboard data that many fl eet operators rely on to make com-plex and time-sensitive decisions.

However, when fl eet managers

move outside the captive shop for services, data collection and accu-racy go out the window. Often, fl eet managers then fi nd themselves caught with a “black hole” in their fl eet data. The greatest danger this situation creates is having a blind spot in vehicle history that under-mines your overall management process and fl eet performance.

Unfortunately, many fl eet man-agers have grown to accept this problem as just a part of the frus-trations in managing their fl eet.

But, as Amerit Fleet Solutions has proven through servicing some of the largest fl eets in the country, our FleetCommand Data Manage-ment System allows our clients to take back control of their out-sourced assets — providing vis-ibility and control that is lacking from other third-party vendors.

The Importance ofAccuracy and AccessAccurate data is important for a variety of reasons. The fl eet indus-

WORRY-FREE FLEET MAINTENANCE

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM14 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

If you put time and effort into developing and maintaining an accurate, reliable

database, why settle for anything less when using outside vendors?

Accuracy & Access:Demanding Comprehensive Data from Third-Party Suppliers

By Amein Punjani,Chief Operating Offi cer of Amerit Fleet Solutions

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numbers and descriptions, notes, meter and other data could fl ow directly into your system. You would essentially have the “cap-tive shop” experience with your data, giving you the same visibility and control from our off-site Fleet Service Center or Mobile Service Center (you can read more about those services on page 8).

Delivering Data Every DayAs an outsourced maintenance provider to some of the largest fl eets in the country, Amerit pro-vides complete, accurate and real-time data to all our clients through our FleetCommand Data Manage-ment System. We partner with our clients to deliver standard and specialized, real-time data. And all our technicians are thoroughly trained and held accountable for accuracy and thoroughness.

During each repair or service, Amerit’s clients are able to view the vehicle’s progress in real time with precise data and time spent on the unit. All invoices, data fi les and reporting are transmit-ted electronically and/or as hard copies as frequent as the client needs. This fl exibility provides an unprecedented level of detail from an outside supplier.

At Amerit we pride ourselves in our ability to address and solve our customer’s needs and problem ar-eas. With our FleetCommand Sys-tem, Amerit is able to provide the same in-house data quality, reliabil-ity, accuracy, and control. LF

try is geared toward measurement: cost per mile, preventive mainte-nance frequency, miles per gallon, etc. These common metrics are pervasive throughout the industry but mean nothing without accu-racy and access. Let’s look at a few common ways that data — or lack thereof — impact everyday man-agement decisions.

1. Warranties When fi ling warranty claims you need to know your “Three Cs”: complaint, cause, and correction. You need to record what you did, but just as importantly, you need to also know the background de-tails of the asset by asking these questions:

• What is the vehicle’s service history?• What specifi c services or repairs were performed? • Why did that vehicle come in in the fi rst place, and is this a repeat occurrence?Without these data points you

do not have a full historical pic-ture of this vehicle’s issues, costs, and remedies, which leaves you at a road block — you cannot submit a warranty claim without these key data points.

Because most third-party ven-dors do not provide historical de-tails on their invoice, fl eet manag-ers and their staff have to endure the additional burdens of request-ing and inputting each data point before submitting a claim.

2. EmployeesData is also important to ensure accountability. This is particularly true if you are managing a techni-cian workforce, but is also a key fac-tor to managing outside vendors.

Knowing what task times were recorded and whether the tech-nician doing the task performed that service within the standard task time not only helps you hold

vendors and employees account-able, it also helps you gauge over-all performance. This gives you a clear view into your costs and any possible improvements.

3. CostsWhen proving ROI, accurate and comprehensive data is mission critical. When you pull the costs for a vehicle you must have con-fi dence that those costs are accu-rate and refl ective of the actual vehicle history.

At Amerit, we often code costs to the vehicle itself — not to a general department code. This helps our clients know the true cost of operating that vehicle to make informed decisions, like should they buy that vehicle type again? Or should they go with a different type of vehicle because of repeat problems and a high cost of ownership? Conversely, accurate and complete data will also prove that a cost-savings ini-tiative did indeed save money and deliver greater profi tability.

If you put time and effort into developing and maintaining an accurate, reliable database, why settle for anything less when using outside vendors?

‘Captive Shop’ Datafrom Off-Site VendorsThe industry is advancing. Retail service providers utilize systems of their own, which “talk” to your sys-tems — if you ask for it. The world has moved beyond expensive EDI interfaces to more nimble ways to exchange information. For exam-ple, .csv fi les extracted to FTP sites for upload can do the trick as well as .xml data fi le transfers.

But what if an outside vendor could provide you with both your maintenance data and your in-voice seamlessly either weekly, daily, or in real time directly into your FMS? VMRS codes, part

WORRY-FREE FLEET MAINTENANCE

Providing innovative, customized, and comprehensive fl eet maintenance servic-es on a local and national scale, Amerit is the only nationwide maintenance provider creating full-service programs that answer the toughest challenges from the largest fl eets in the U.S. These programs increase their uptime, reduce managerial burdens, and ensure quality and accuracy while delivering savings.

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Meeting propane demand through the “polar vor-tex” this winter brought

extra challenges to companies like Ferrellgas and other propane businesses. But in staying focused on winter operation protocols, moving fl eet where needed, and allowing for routing fl exibility, Ferrellgas was able to face these hurdles head on.

The company’s fl eet totals around 3,500 trucks spread out nationally, including its Blue Rhino brand, which provides pro-pane tank exchange.

Dealing with the ColdMany states struggled with snow and ice storms throughout the win-ter this year, and in an industry that relies on trucks and roads to make deliveries, when roads are closed, getting product to customers can pose quite the dilemma. “There’s not a whole lot the propane in-dustry can do with the roads,” says Mike Abrams, Ferrellgas director of fl eet services, adding that the

solution is to ei-ther take a longer route or just wait.

Ferrellgas driv-ers working in these areas are fairly used to ad-verse weather conditions. “They can still fi nd the

tanks in four-foot snowdrifts. It’s kind of the norm for our drivers to have to go through snow to bring in the hoses,” Abrams says, who has been fl eet director for fi ve years and with Ferrellgas for 17.

To forecast demand ahead of schedule and before customers run out, Ferrellgas utilizes tank-monitoring technology. However, Abrams says that keeping up with demand was exacerbated this year due to a large amount of customers whose suppliers either weren’t able to keep up or ran out of an imme-diate supply, and called on Ferrell-gas to step in. “We always make sure the customers we contract with are taken care of,” he says.

This winter was a special case, with many media headlines stating that there was a propane “short-age.” According to Ferrellgas, though, while there were several factors at play including an unusu-ally high demand in the fall and unrelated pipeline issues, calling it a shortage could be argued as a misnomer. “There was and there is plenty of propane in the U.S.,” says Scott Brockelmeyer, Ferrellgas vice president of communications and marketing. “It was really a situation and scenario where propane was not where we needed it to be.”

So adding road closures and weather issues to the mix made it a perfect storm of challenges. For ex-ample, when the company would

normally pull product out of Kan-sas and deliver it to Indiana, the fl eet was traveling all the way down to Texas to get it. “That puts longer timelines in the delivery process, and adds to the cost,” Abrams says.

For Ferrellgas, having a large fl eet aided its winter deliveries. Whether it was changing routes to retrieve propane elsewhere, or shifting portions of the fl eet from lower-demand areas to where trucks needed to be. “This was a challenge for a number of retailers in our in-dustry,” Brockelmeyer says.

Keeping Engines RunningDiesel fl eets across the northern-most and coldest states had to grapple with gelling, which is when diesel fuel hardens in the fuel lines, preventing the truck from starting.

For Ferrellgas, this wasn’t an is-sue in areas used to the frigid tem-peratures, where the company uses certain diesel additives in the tanks to prevent the fuel from gelling. “But for our guys in Indiana, Illi-nois and Ohio, that’s an unusual thing for them to face, so when -20 degree temperatures hit us over-night where use of additives is not normal protocol, we defi nitely had fuel gelling issues,” Abrams adds.

To fi x the issue, patience is a required tool. “Once the fuel is gelled, you can’t just add some-thing to your fuel tank and start the vehicle,” Abrams says. “You

Coupled by a higher demand, road closures, and other supply issues, propane

companies were faced with seemingly relentless challenges this winter. Ferrellgas

stepped up to meet this demand, and to keep customers warm and happy.

By Joanne Tucker

FLEET PROFILE

Mike Abrams, Director ofFleet Services

Ferrellgas Pushes Past Winter Challenges

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need to get it to a shop where they can warm the fuel injectors.”

While products exist to help aid the process, those still involve some mechanical disassembly, so either way, time and getting the truck to a shop and warmed up is key — and not always easy. “Some-times, you just have to get it towed somewhere,” he says.

Ferrellgas also boasts a robust preventive maintenance pro-gram. With its longest replace-ment cycle of 13-15 years on Class 7 bobtails and any other upfi tted trucks, staying on top of sched-uled maintenance year-round is the cornerstone to the success of the strategy, which also aids dur-ing extreme weather.

The fl eet keeps a pool of deploy-able trucks ready, particularly the bobtails, and cylinder and boom trucks. “We’ve got trucks that are either ready to go, or they’re in the pipeline being built,” Abrams says. “It allows our fi eld to operate with a certain level of confi dence when they know that if they are going to need a truck, we can get them one in relatively short order.”

Keeping Drivers SafeWith icy roads affecting states that rarely see them, Ferrellgas’ driver

training and safety protocols were all the more useful. During the win-ter, the company focuses on stop-ping distance, tire chains, checking the battery charge, and of course the year-round risks involved with distracted driving and how that can be even riskier on icy roadways.

But safety for Ferrellgas is re-ally a focus at the local level. As a decentralized company, local managers get the face-to-face time with drivers and are therefore bet-ter candidates to execute.

Propane in FleetNot surprisingly, about 17% of the Ferrellgas fl eet includes ei-ther dedicated or propane bi-fuel trucks. Aside from the obvious rea-son, the company uses propane in fl eet because of easy access to infrastructure as well as the cost-effectiveness of installing a private pump. “Ask anyone who owns an RV and they’ll tell you there’s thousands of places around the country to refuel,” Abrams says.

The company is also enjoying the comparable operating cost per-mile to gasoline. “As long as the vehicles are well maintained, we don’t see any issues with long-term viability,” Abrams says, add-ing that another bonus for using

propane is that in cold weather, it can’t gel up like diesel.

The ‘Right’ Kind of GrowthEstablished 75 years ago, Ferrell-gas has seen signifi cant growth over the years. While the company has made multiple acquisitions, including two just since August 2013, in the last year or so the company has been experiencing some fl eet “right-sizing.”

“We’ve been growing our effi -ciencies and reducing our fl eet, which is, I think, the best of both worlds,” Abrams says, adding that investing in technology has been a key driver in this initiative.

Through improved routing software and tank-monitoring technology, the company is able to eliminate a lot of unnecessary driving. “The investment in tech-nology has allowed us to deliver the same number of gallons with far fewer vehicles because of those effi ciencies,” Abrams says.

Another contributor to stream-lining aspects of the fl eet is refi ning roles and responsibilities of local managers. According to Abrams, the result is a system allowing more time for dispatchers and other lo-gistics employees to focus on im-proving effi ciencies even further. LF

Ferrellgas drivers are often used to working in snow-packed areas, but this year brought extra challenges in areas not used to the frigid temperatures.

Photos courtesy of Ferrellgas

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The energy and environmen-tal challenges confronting all major industrial nations

are resulting in policymakers tak-ing a closer look at what can be done to make trucks cleaner and better for public health and the environment. National and eco-nomic security priorities are also prominent as many civic leaders from Beijing to Washington, D.C. want to reduce their dependence on imported oil and keep their energy dollars at home.

Signifi cant action has already been taken to reduce emissions and increase the effi ciency of the passenger car market. The 2025 goal in the United States is for each car company’s mix of vehicles sold to operate on a 54.5 mpg basis on average. This target is roughly consistent with similar goals estab-lished in Japan, China, and the Eu-ropean Union.

These policy goals are already having a substantial impact on the light-duty vehicle sector. The market share of high-effi ciency gasoline direct injection engines has grown by about six-fold to 32% from 2007 to 2012. Electric and hybrid cars now account for about 4% of all new car sales.

At a modest incremental cost of $1,600, Ricardo, the global auto-motive consulting fi rm, has pro-

duced a Ford Focus that will be ca-pable of getting 60 mpg with only a mild hybridization of the gasoline powertrain. And, Ford just recently announced plans to cut the weight of its best-selling F-Series pick-up trucks by 700 pounds. Imagine how much better mileage your car would get if it didn’t have two guys in the back seat, each weighing 350 pounds! Current estimates suggest the mpg of a Ford F-150 will jump from 23 to 30 mpg.

With big goals being established, and innovation and investment oc-curring in the light-duty vehicle

sector, the same questions are of-ten raised about trucks and buses. What is the new fuel or technology that can really make a difference in the heavy-duty vehicle sector? Will we see a similar level of improve-ment, and at what pace?

Refi ning the OldThe best “new energy source” for trucks and buses still lies in ef-fi ciency — making the existing dominant powertrain more effi -cient, and requiring less fuel.

New and existing engine man-ufacturers are now working on

This is one of the latest fuel technologies to hit the truck market and is being spearheaded by

Volvo. Pictured is a Volvo VNL 300 with the D13 di-methyl ether (DME) engine.

Photo courtesy of Volvo Trucks

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM18 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

By John Boesel, President and CEO, CALSTART

CLEANER, BETTER TruckTechnologies Are ComingWe’ve seen the innovations for passenger cars and other light-duty applications, but what’s the state of cleaner technologies in the heavy-duty market looking like? Let’s just say, we’re entering a period of signifi cant change.

LEADING THOUGHTS

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more effi cient and innovative en-gine designs. Capturing waste-heat and using it to generate power can yield signifi cant new effi ciencies, for example. Start/stop technol-ogy will reduce fuel consumption during idling and will be seen in a number of trucks this decade. And, opportunities remain to lower the non-cargo weight of the trucks and increase the aerodynamics, while reducing their rolling resistance through better tires.

When we look to fuels beyond diesel for the truck sector, it is im-portant to keep in mind what we are aiming for. The fuels of the future need to emit less than or an equal amount of particulate pollution currently generated by the much cleaner diesel engines that meet the U.S. 2010 emission standard. From a total lifecycle ba-sis, the fuels also need to produce fewer harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, the fuels need to be scalable and able to meet a sig-nifi cant portion of market demand while being economical.

The truck sector already is ex-tremely diverse, ranging from Class 2 urban delivery vans to Class 8 long-haul tractor trailers. The growth of the new fuel market can actually benefi t from this diversity. Different fuels can quite easily be used in different segments and dif-ferent applications. Extensive re-search and deployment tests have shown repeatedly that an effective fuel choice is all about duty-cycle and how the vehicles get used. A decade ago, it was not that impor-tant for fl eets to fully understand the duty-cycles of their trucks be-cause they basically had one fuel choice. Today, there is a growing array of fuels, each of which, like the existing dominant fuel, offers its own strengths and weaknesses.

Hybrid & ElectricOver the next decade, we expect to

see electric and hybrid technology expand in the regional urban de-livery and possibly in the drayage markets. Electric and hybrid drive-trains are simply more effi cient, capable of capturing braking en-ergy and require less energy to create traction power. Frito Lay, Staples, and UPS are among the fl eets currently taking advantage of electric power.

Presently, the states of California and New York, along with the City of Chicago are helping to support growth of the electric truck market by offering incentives. Oddly, Con-gress has decided that an individ-ual should get a tax credit if they purchase an electric car, but they do not offer any such tax credit to a fl eet that wants to purchase an electric truck.

Hybrid technology got off to a pretty fast start but its growth has slowed a bit recently. We expect to see it grow during the next decade as more suppliers enter the market and provide better technology.

The truck market has yet to benefi t from a Toyota-level of commitment to the technology. As a result of continuous im-provement and sustained invest-ment, Toyota is now selling its 4th generation hybrid drivetrain and has sold more than 6 million Prius models worldwide.

Over time, we will continue to see new and improved hybrid systems in the truck market, but it looks like it will take longer to penetrate than it has in the car market.

Presently, there are a number of plug-in variations of passenger cars. Some are all electric, while others like the Volt have a limited zero-emission range and then oper-ate as a gas hybrid past the electric range. A growing number of mega-cities around the world need trucks that have a zero-emission capability when operating in the most heavily polluted corridors. It is likely that over the next decade we will see a number of different plug-in hybrid variants in the truck sector.

Natural GasThe growth of the natural gas mar-ket in class 5-8 trucks over the past three years has been exceptional. Fleets ranging from Pepsi to Mon-arch Beverage (the largest dis-tributor in Indiana) to UPS have been taking advantage of natural gas not only because it produces fewer particulates, but simply be-cause the economics have been so attractive. It is not uncommon for fl eets to secure long-term pricing arrangements for natural gas that is less than a dollar per diesel gal-lon equivalent.

From a total environmental per-

Frito Lay, Staples and UPS are among the fl eets currently taking advantage of electric power in fl eet.

Photo courtesy of CALSTART

Page 22: C.R. England

spective, some questions have been raised recently about natural gas. On the plus-side, in a recent analy-sis we completed for the California Energy Commission, CALSTART identifi ed the potential for natural gas to produce even lower emis-sions than the 2010 standard. This is a very encouraging development, particularly for metropolitan areas like Houston, Fresno, and Los An-geles, where air pollution remains a major concern.

On the greenhouse gas side of the equation, a number of studies underway are examining whether there are losses of methane from the process of producing the gas to using it in the truck. Under cur-

rent scenarios, natural gas trucks and buses tend to produce about 20% fewer greenhouse gas emis-sions than diesel trucks.

A game changer for natural gas could be the development of heavy-duty engines specifi cally de-signed to operate on natural gas and take advantage of its high oc-tane content. Preliminary studies suggest that optimized natural gas engines could be 30 times more ef-fi cient than they are today.

Di-Methyl EtherVolvo is currently taking lead in the use of a fuel called Di-Methyl Ether (DME) which produces vir-tually no particulate matter and can be used in a slightly modifi ed diesel engine.

DME can be produced from natural gas — or for even lower greenhouse gas reductions, can use biomethane as its feedstock. Biomethane is effectively just like natural gas, but instead of coming

from fossil sources, it is generated from digesters where biological ma-terial decomposes. In California, Waste Management Inc. is running a large number of trucks on ultra-low carbon biomethane that is gen-erated from one of its landfi lls.

Biodiesel &Renewable FuelsSomewhat quietly, the biodie-sel and renewable diesel sectors have continued to grow over the last fi ve years.

Using different processes, but largely the same feedstock, the production of both renewable and biodiesel has continued to grow. Production of these fuels exceed-

ed 1 billion gallons in 2012. The industry is quickly moving away from sole reliance on soybeans and taking advantage of waste ma-terials for a growing percent of production. Both biodiesel and renewable diesel are “drop-in” fu-els that can be easily blended with conventional diesel.

Looking further down the bio-fuel road, fi rms like Sapphire En-ergy and Solazyme are now pro-ducing “algae” crude, and testing them in a wide array of modes — ranging from aircraft carriers to passenger cars. From a technical perspective, these new renewable fuels are working and proving re-liable. At this point, the challenge is to bring down the price and to fi nd ways to produce the algae in volumes that can have a major im-pact on the market.

Leveraging ProgressLastly, the truck industry may be able to leverage progress being

made in the transit bus sector. During the last 20 years, the U.S. transit bus sector has played a lead-ing role in testing out and prov-ing the viability of natural gas and hybrid powertrains in heavy-duty platforms. Presently, both electric and hydrogen fuel cells are being used by a growing number of tran-sit properties in the U.S.

With funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration, CALSTART will soon test two dif-ferent confi gurations of fuel cell/battery dominant buses, one at SunLine Transit and one at Con-necticut Transit. In this case, a small fuel cell, powered by hydro-gen, will recharge the batteries and enable a bus to operate all day with zero emissions. TTSI, a drayage fi rm based in Southern California, is currently testing out a similar technology confi guration produced by Vision Motors.

We are entering a period of signifi cant technological change with major environmental prom-ise. Many suppliers seek to lever-age and build upon what is be-ing done with light-duty vehicles and apply those innovations to the heavy-duty sector. In 10 years, while diesel will still be the domi-nant fuel used in the U.S. truck-ing industry, fl eets will have a lot more choices, including the op-tion to do more with less fuel than they are using today. LF

LEADINGFLEETS.COM • AMERITFLEETSOLUTIONS.COM20 LEADING FLEETS WINTER 2014

LEADING THOUGHTS

John Boesel is president and CEO of CALSTART, the nation’s leading clean transportation consortium. CALSTART of-fers a broad array of technical, policy, and consulting support to more than 120 member companies. Headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., the nonprofi t organi-zation has offi ces in New York, Colorado, and Northern Califor-nia, and administers projects all over the United States.

Today, there is a growing array of fuels, each of which, like the existing dominant fuel, offers its own strengths and weaknesses.

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www.policemag.com/freeinfo/

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