FedEx Freight, a wholly owned subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and a U.S. provider of LTL freight services, has purchased more than 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors and has installed a CNG fueling station to serve the new natural gas fleet at its Oklahoma City Service Center.
To design, build and maintain the fueling station, FedEx Freight contracted with Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a major provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America.
According to the freight company, its CNG fleet and new fueling station are part of its larger effort to connect to the world “responsibly and resourcefully” through various environmental efforts, including upgrading its air and ground fleets to run on biofuel and empowering team members through programs such as FedEx Fuel Sense and EarthSmart.
FedEx Freight says that the CNG fueling station in Oklahoma City also provides efficiency for fueling the fleet by offering both fast-fill and time-fill options on-site. As reported, the fast-fill station has four lanes, and the time-fill station has six zones and 18 hoses.
The fueling station is estimated to dispense approximately 2.5 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) per year.
“A fact we take very seriously at FedEx is that people want to do business with companies who invest in making the world a better place,” said Michael Ducker, president and CEO of FedEx Freight. “Plus, it’s simply the right thing to do. And given that the state of Oklahoma has been so supportive of sustainable transportation solutions, we felt this was the perfect place to set a strong example within the LTL industry.”
“The use of natural gas by FedEx Freight is a natural extension of our corporate-wide efforts to provide sustainable solutions that benefit the customers and communities we serve,” said Mitch Jackson, vice president of environmental affairs and sustainability at FedEx Corp. “Across the FedEx enterprise, we continuously look for ways to maximize our efficiency while advancing our commitment to connect the world in responsible and resourceful ways.”
In addition to burning more cleanly than diesel and producing lower CO2 emissions, natural gas in the U.S. mainly comes from domestic sources, thereby helping the country become more energy independent.
“This substantial investment in CNG by FedEx not only demonstrates their continued leadership in long-haul transportation, but their decision is another example of their commitment to broader sustainable goals that now includes a new CNG truck fleet in Oklahoma City that is using a fuel that is cleaner and domestic,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, CEO and president of Clean Energy. “Clean Energy is thrilled to work with FedEx to help in ensuring a more sustained and safer environment for future generations.”
FedEx Freight notes that the fueling station will be showcased at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 11 by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, FedEx chairman and CEO Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Freight’s Ducker, Clean Energy co-founder and energy magnate T. Boone Pickens, and Clean Energy’s Littlefair.
With corporate offices in Memphis, Tenn., the FedEx Freight Segment includes FedEx Freight, a U.S. provider of LTL freight services; FedEx Freight Canada, an LTL operating company serving most points in Canada; and FedEx Custom Critical, North America’s largest time-specific, critical shipment carrier. FedEx Freight also serves Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. builds and operates CNG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations; manufactures CNG and LNG equipment and technologies; develops renewable natural gas production facilities; and claims to deliver more CNG and LNG fuel than any other company in the U.S.
