Trucking Executives on Panel Express Cautious Optimism for Natural Gas
DALLAS — Several trucking industry executives said they see a future for natural gas as a viable fuel for the industry despite relatively low oil prices.
Rusty Rush, chairman and CEO of Rush Enterprises, said his company sold 10% to 15% of natural-gas big rigs in the United States in the past few years.
“We thought that natural gas long-term was a more stable source of fuel; it just made sense,” Rush said in an executive roundtable general session May 6 at ACT Expo.
Rush unveiled its new Momentum Technologies at the start of ACT Expo on May 4, a wholly owned subsidiary that will manufacture, sell, install and service a new lightweight compressed natural-gas fuel system for Classes 6-8 trucks.
But Rush added that “natural gas is not going to replace diesel; let’s not kid ourselves.”
Drew Cullen, senior vice president for fuels and facility services for Penske Truck Leasing, said he was “optimistic — I think we’d be bullish if we saw some things that were moving the industry forward at a more rapid pace.”
He said fleets were working with OEMs and natural-gas fuel-system providers to help bring the higher costs of nat-gas trucks down, and with fuel providers to boost infrastructure.
“There are grant programs out there, but they’re really not happening fast enough,” Cullen said. “But we are very optimistic” about the future of natural gas.
May 7 ACT Expo tours will include a Penske Truck Leasing maintenance facility, as well as visits to Clean Energy Fuels Corp., Shell LNG, Questar Fueling and Love’s natural-gas fueling stations.
