HDT's Top Green Fleets of 2019

(Heavy Duty Trucking) All of Heavy Duty Trucking magazine's Top Green Fleets of 2019 take sustainability to the next level — through fuel economy, freight efficiency, alternative fuels, energy savings, and more. -- What does it mean to be “green”? For a trucking operation, whether for-hire, private, or government, it can mean many things. Lowering tailpipe emissions using alternative fuels and new electric and hybrid drivetrains. Using renewable fuels that make the most of scarce natural resources. Lowering greenhouse gas emissions by improving mpg or by improving efficiency to haul the same amount of freight with fewer trips. Building energy-efficient facilities or ones that use solar or wind to help provide power. Recycling.

City of Long Beach

The City of Long Beach Fleet’s Green Fleet Program is focused on CNG and electric vehicles. The fleet is currently 42% alternative fuel, and its non-safety fleet is 60% alternative fuel. The 2020 replacement plan is 87% alternative fuel. The refuse and street sweeping fleet is being converted entirely to CNG. Renewable fuels are expected to make up 54% of the city’s overall fuel use in 2019, up from 48% in 2018.

City of Phoenix

More than 700 of Phoenix’s 800 heavy-duty trucks run on biodiesel, while 115 are CNG. In medium-duty, more than 200 are running on biodiesel and 62 on flex fuel. Its Fleet Sustainability Strategy focuses on making sure vehicles are the right size and type for the job. With the help of automatic vehicle tracking, Phoenix rerouted its reuse and recycle collection routes to use less fuel.

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been operating on alternative fuels such as B20 biodiesel, e85 ethanol, propane, electric, and hybrid since 2009 when it made a commitment to reducing tailpipe and life cycle emissions in its fleet, which consists of 177 light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The Forest Preserve also recently constructed a new fleet maintenance facility built to LEED standards.

Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay has long been at the forefront of alternative fuels adoption, with one of the largest Class 6 delivery fleets powered by electricity and nearly 50% of over-the-road tractors powered by natural gas. Frito-Lay is replacing all diesel equipment at its Modesto, California, facilities with15 Tesla battery-electric tractors, six Peterbilt 220EV battery-electric box trucks, three BYD 8Y battery-electric yard tractors, 12 Crown battery-electric forklifts, and 38 Volvo tractors with low-NOx engines powered by renewable natural gas.

Pitt Ohio

Pitt Ohio, which provides less-than-truckload, truckload, and supply chain solutions, operates nearly 1,300 of its more than 1,400 trucks on biodiesel and 31 on compressed natural gas. A solar- and wind-powered microgrid at its Harmar, Pennsylvania, facility stores energy for use during night-time operations and has reduced electricity taken from the grid by more than 25%. Pitt Ohio is opening its second facility with a microgrid in 2019 in Parma, Ohio, with more than 1,500 solar panels and eight wind turbines.

Ruan

With 4,000 heavy-duty trucks, Ruan’s commitment to greener fuels has a big impact. It specs its trucks with with tire pressure monitoring and inflation systems, APUs, fuel-efficient powertrains and more. Ruan uses alternative fuels including biodiesel, compressed natural gas, renewable natural gas, and renewable hydrocarbon diesel. Ruan has ordered five battery-electric-powered Class 8 trucks and has participated in multiple round-table discussions/conference calls for electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategies.

UPS

By 2025, UPS wants to cut emissions 12% across its global ground operations, sourcing 40% of fuel from sources other than conventional gasoline/diesel. Some of its latest projects include the largest purchase ever of renewable natural gas in the U.S., collaborating with Xos (formerly Thor Trucks) to test a fully electric Class 6 delivery truck in Los Angeles, collaborating with Workhorse Group to design a fleet of Class 5 electric delivery trucks from the ground up, and reserving 125 Tesla electric Semi tractors.

Veritable Vegetable

Sustainability is a deeply ingrained value at this organic produce distributor, and that extends to its 34 vehicles. It has adopted trailer side skirts, aerodynamic wheel covers, idle shutdown technology, and fuel-efficient tires with automatic tire inflation. Over half the fleet runs on renewable diesel. It is exploring solar power to extend the functionality of its electric APUs and a partnership to test electric trucks. Its facilities are equipped with a 560-panel solar array that offsets over 25% of its energy use.

Village of Arlington Heights

One of the biggest municipalities in the state, the Village of Arlington Height’s Fleet Services Division maintains a fleet of 107 vehicles and 29 pieces of off-road equipment, operating 136 diesel vehicles and pieces of equipment on B20 biodiesel year-round. It uses synthetic oil to extend maintenance intervals and vehicle mpg, collects all waste oil for use in heating an auxiliary facility in the winter, and reduces the use of paper through digital maintenance logs and ordering procedures.

Village of Oak Park

The Village of Oak Park’s Fleet Services Division maintains 236 vehicles, with 90 powered by alternative fuels and technologies. It operates 65 diesel vehicles on B20 biodiesel year-round, two on compressed natural gas, six battery-electric, one diesel-electric hybrid, and 19 gas-electric hybrids. It has installed LED lighting in the maintenance shop, and operates paperless systems for parts and supply orders, maintenance logs, and vehicle purchase specifications. Fleet Services operates out of the Public Works Center, built to LEED Gold standards. READ MORE