2010 – The Texas Clean Transportation Triangle (TCTT) initiative started in 2010 to provide the foundation for a wide scale deployment of natural gas vehicles. The goal: strategically planned high volume, publicly accessible natural gas fueling stations connecting Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Early analysis included a market study with high-value fleet prospects including breweries, distributors, grocers, refuse haulers, and a wide variety of transportation and logistics experts.
With one of the largest fleets in the United States, Ryder was a strategic leader with natural gas commercial transportation solutions in Texas from day one. The Company was aggressively pursuing natural gas truck deployment projects with executive support to grow their expertise, assessing opportunities in focus areas across the country including Texas. The TCTT studies showed many fleets (based in the state producing more natural gas than any other state in the union) expressing an interest.
2015 – Fast forward 5 years – Texas has demonstrated unprecedented growth with natural gas, now the number one alternative fuel in the state. Over 100 natural gas fuel stations provide compressed natural gas (CNG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG) across the state, with another 40 stations planned to open to the public this year. Drivers can go beyond the triangle cities with multiple stations and increasingly competitive prices from Texas to both coasts east and west, north to Canada and south to Mexico.
Ryder’s reputation as a trusted partner positioned the company for early success with commercial fleets nationwide interested in lower fuel costs and lower emissions. Ryder’s rental and leasing model enables businesses to test drive new natural gas technologies to prove fuel cost and emission reductions. Ryder is an alternative fuel commercial transportation leader with other progressive transporters including UPS, Waste Management, Pepsi/Frito-Lay, Central Freight, and H-E-B Grocery.
Texas is one of 11 states with natural gas vehicles for Ryder customer fleets. Others include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Utah, and Quebec, Canada. Ryder has 17 natural gas engineered maintenance facilities and more than 2,500 NGV trained maintenance and service employees. They are rapidly expanding their NGV service capabilities across the country and are well prepared to team with fleets interested in cleaner, affordable natural gas.
Progressive companies considering fleet options will choose to lease trucks more often in the future. As they consider costs and benefits, they may be persuaded by a more comprehensive solution with dedicated fleets, drivers, oversight of logistics and natural gas fuel in Texas and beyond.
Authored by Lynn Lyon.
Lynn is President of EnergyConnects with over 15 years of energy industry experience. She is an Alternative Fuel Thought Leader who served on the Board of Directors for NGVAmerica and was National Chairperson for the Natural Gas Vehicle Committee for America’s Natural Gas Alliance. She led strategic initiatives for a major upstream producer converting fleets, drilling rigs, hydraulic fracturing engines and mining equipment to natural gas fueling. For regular updates on alternative fuel follow @energyconnects1 on Twitter.
