Recently, Rush Truck Centers, in conjunction with PeterbiltMotors Co., held a seminar on alternatively fueled vehicles in Anaheim, Calif.,for some of its existing and prospective customers. Rush Truck Centers, with 48truck centers in 11 states, is operated by Rush Enterprises Inc. and is thelargest dealership group in the U.S. and the largest Peterbilt dealer. Theresponse was overwhelming––nearly 200 very interested trucking professionalsaccepted the invitation.
As part of the event, Rush Truck Centers pulled togetherexperts on alternatively fueled vehicles, which included representatives fromPeterbilt Motors Co., Cummins Engine Co., Westport (builders of alternativelyfueled engines) and Eaton Roadranger (maker of hybrid electric systems). Thefocus was on the strides in hybrid technology, the renewed interest in naturalgas (NG) engines for commercial trucks, and especially taxes credits and otherfinancial incentives.
Peterbilt had its trucks available for test drives. Itsalternative fueled vehicles include liquefied natural gas (LNG) configurationson its Models 387, 386 and 367. The factory-installed LNG system is part of ajoint agreement between Peterbilt and Westport Innovations to provide NGversions of select Peterbilt aerodynamic and vocational vehicles. The companyalso showed off its factory-built electric hybrid trucks and hydraulic launchassist truck.
Peterbilt’s Chief Engineer, Landon Sproull, noted thathybrid electric trucks fit a specific niche. Some of the key applications formedium-duty trucks include utility buckets, dry vans, refrigerated vans,beverage tractor and/or trailer, municipal dumps, stake beds and flat beds.Sproull said that test vehicle results suggest that hybrid electric trucks inthese applications have shown a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency, a 20% to30% increase in fuel economy, a 30% to 40% reduction in emission levels, a 50%reduction in brake wear and 25% to 30% faster acceleration.
Also built for a niche market, and available for test drivesat the Rush Truck Centers event, was Peterbilt’s hydraulic launch assist refusehauler. I had a chance to take a test drive in the vehicle. In addition to thequiet, smooth ride, I found this truck had quick acceleration and wasresponsive––seconds to get right up to speed––and deceleration took the vehicleto a complete stop within 40 or 50 ft. The performance perfectly mimicked theduty-cycle of a residential refuse truck that goes from point-to-point or trashcan-to-trash can, to be more specific. The technology is a great fit for theapplication and it definitely will reduce brake wear and increase fuelefficiency.
The host of the event, Rusty Rush, CEO & president ofRush Enterprises, talked about what fleets need to know when considering thepurchase of alternatively fueled vehicles. As this country continues to focuson more green initiatives, there is greater interest in alternative fuels,which help to protect the environment and lessen our dependency of foreignresources. In addition, he noted that fleets that do business in non-attainmentareas need to comply with laws governing those cities, regulations that aremore easily met with natural gas or hybrid vehicles.
“A lot of people are talking about ‘green,’ but the talk isnothing without action. We believe that we are leading the way with ourcustomers by putting resources in place that will assist them to find theproducts they need to operate in a more environmentally friendly way. Some ofthose products include hybrid trucks offered by PACCAR, and in particular,Peterbilt.”
Rush noted that the company’s many dealership locations havea lot of experience working with local municipalities to comply withregulations related to lowering truck emissions. The Rush Truck Centerlocations in Southern California have been very instrumental in helping over100 customers in the area obtain grants so far. One example is a municipalitythat has been able to purchase nearly 300 NG trucks. The Rush dealerships inthat area also are working with the San Pedro Bay Ports, which includes theCity of Los Angeles and Long Beach among others, on their Clean Truck Programto expand the number of NG trucks operating in the ports.
The key to obtaining grants, said Jim Thor, senior vicepresident of retail sales for Rush Enterprises, is to have one centralizedperson in charge of locating grants and federal funds to coordinate with ourlocal truck centers. “The system is both centralized and decentralized. Thecentralized coordinator sees the big picture––the federal money, and the localdealership individuals (decentralized) usually have a good idea of the fundsthat are available locally.”
Rush pointed out that this month the company has helped over140 customers apply for clean diesel, hybrid and natural gas vehicle grants andover 600 customers apply for retrofit money allocated by the Diesel EmissionReduction Act (DERA) Stimulus Program. DERA is part of the American Recoveryand Reinvestment Act that provides $300 million to support emission reduction,diesel retrofit, remanufacture, re-power, idle-reduction and fuel-savingsprojects across the 50 states and D.C.
The company is positioning itself as the “green expert,”Rush said. “We want to be the information base for our customers to help themunderstand and obtain the products they need to be in compliance and to receivethe grant monies that help them off-set costs for their commitment to a betterenvironment. “‘Going green’ isn’t just about alternative fuels, it is alsoabout retrofit DPFs to lower emissions, APUs to lower idling times, and so on.”Rush Enterprises has positioned itself to fill a specific niche, a niche thatThor says is going to continue to expand with our current politicaladministration and beyond.
