Ryder System will participate in the “NGVs Take the Hill” public display event on Wednesday, April 13, a few blocks from the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The event, sponsored by NGVAmerica, will showcase educational exhibits and a display of heavy-duty trucks and other vehicles powered by natural gas.
The purpose of the event is to educate the public, media and policy- and decision-makers about the use of natural gas as a clean, domestic and abundant transportation fuel that is a viable and available alternative to foreign oil. Demonstrating the company’s commitment to the natural gas heavy-duty truck market, Ryder will exhibit a vehicle from its heavy-duty natural gas fleet offering at the event.
“Providing leadership to promote the use of natural gas in heavy-duty commercial fleets is a key initiative for Ryder,” says Robert Sanchez, president of Global Fleet Management Solutions for Ryder. “Participation in this event underscores our commitment to bringing cost-effective environmentally-sound commercial transportation solutions to market that help businesses reduce both fleet fuel costs and emissions.”
Ryder has ordered 202 heavy-duty natural gas trucks as part of an agreement with the San Bernardino Associated Governments. The heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing project in Southern California is a $38.7 million project funded as part of a joint public/private industry partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission and Ryder. The project is expected to displace an estimated 1.5 million gallons of diesel fuel with 100 percent domestically produced natural gas.
Ryder will begin taking delivery of the trucks in April and expects to integrate the full order into its fleet by September. Ryder also has begun work to upgrade the first of three existing maintenance facilities in its network to be properly equipped for the indoor servicing of natural gas vehicles and soon will commence construction of two natural gas fueling stations.
