Fewer than 25% of trucking executives believe natural gas could become a viable alternative to diesel in the foreseeable future, a new survey found.
PLS Logistics Services, Cranberry Township, Pa., which offers transportation management, technology and brokerage services, said that it surveyed executives at 100 large freight carriers to see whether reports in recent months of abundant and cheap natural gas has influenced them to consider natural gas.
“The survey results appear to be a mixed bag for natural gas supporters,” PLS Logistics Services’ Chairman and CEO Greg Burns said. “On the one hand, LNG is clearly on the radar and is being actively evaluated by some of the largest trucking companies in the industrial sector,” Burns said. However, the majority of respondents (54%) said they believe LNG has potential in limited applications, the survey found.
Just 23% said they believe liquefied natural gas, or LNG, will be a viable alternative for current diesel engines in longhaul trucking applications. Fewer than 3% said shippers were pressing for wider use of LNG today.
More than 75% of respondents either were aware of liquefied natural gas technology or were actively analyzing its use, the survey found.
The main barrier to entry was a lack of refueling infrastructure.
