Ryder System Inc., a provider of commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, on Tuesday, June 28, announced it has secured lease agreements for 87 heavy-duty natural gas trucks from customers looking to take advantage of the fuel cost savings and environmental benefits of alternative fuel-powered vehicles.
Ryder says 65 of those vehicles are part of its NG fleet in Southern California, made available through the Ryder/San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Natural Gas Vehicle project.
Due to the relationship Ryder has established with the SANBAG project, the company says it also has been able to expand its alternative fuel program outside of California and has secured a lease agreement with customer Golden Eagle Distributors Inc. for 22 natural gas vehicles in Arizona.
The Ryder/SANBAG project is part of a joint public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, San Bernardino Associated Governments, Southern California Association of Governments, and Ryder. The $38.7 million project includes a total of 202 NG vehicles available for lease or rent; three strategically located NG-compliant maintenance shops in Rancho Dominguez, Orange and Fontana; and two fueling stations. Ryder took delivery of 70 vehicles in May and is expected to have the balance of the full 202 SANBAG NG vehicle order in its fleet by the end of 2011.
