Raven Transport Buys 115 Peterbilt LNG Trucks
Raven Transport is expanding its natural-gas fleet with 115 Peterbilt trucks fueled by liquefied natural gas, which it will use throughout the Southeast.
The trucks, Peterbilt 579 models, were purchased from Rush Truck Center’s Jacksonville, Fla., dealership, which is part of Rush Enterprises.
Raven’s fleet will operate on irregular routes originating from production plants and distribution centers in the Southeast and is forecast to consume about 2.4 million additional diesel gallon equivalents of LNG annually.
“Raven is rising to the challenge to move our customers’ goods with clean-burning fuel,” said Stephen Silverman, the Jacksonville-based carrier’s chief operating officer. “Shippers continue to set the standard in sustainable logistics, and today’s announcement enables Raven to accommodate these high standards.”
Raven’s trucks will get LNG at Clean Energy Fuels Corp. stations being built in Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama; Pearl, Mississippi.; and Theodore, Alabama. It also will fuel at existing Clean Energy stations in Albany, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Houston Baytown, Texas; Latta, South Carolina; and Valdosta, Georgia.
“The natural gas-fueling ecology continues to strengthen as America’s largest shippers and their logistics companies transition to natural gas,” Clean Energy Vice President Chad Lindholm said. “As these four stations open and join our existing infrastructure, it becomes increasingly feasible for fleets hauling in the Southeast and beyond to make the switch to natural gas.”
Custom Vehicle Solutions, another Rush Enterprises company, completed the installation of the Chart LNG fuel systems purchased through Clean Energy’s tank pricing program.
Rush Enterprises Chairman and CEO W.M. “Rusty” Rush said Raven “will continue to drive adoption of alternative fuels, impacting the entire transportation industry. Rush Truck Centers has made significant investments to support alternative-fuel vehicles with dedicated natural-gas bays and certified technicians across the country, allowing us to continue to support Raven Transport with their service needs."
