SoCal Port Trucking Company Replacing Diesel with Natural Gas

Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI), a Southern California-based provider of logistics services, plans to replace its entire fleet of diesel trucks with natural gas trucks, which will be fueled with renewable natural gas (RNG).

The announcement was made in conjunction with the nonprofit Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) to raise awareness of the importance of natural and renewable gas trucking to help improve air quality and reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in the Los Angeles region, especially at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), along with environmental health nonprofit BREATHE LA, fueling company Clean Energy Fuels Corp., engine manufacturer Cummins Westport, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), participated in Thursday’s announcement. CARB is funding 25% of TTSI’s investment in the new natural gas trucks through the California Climate Investments initiative, a statewide program that uses cap-and-trade dollars to reduce emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.

In any given month, 13,000 to 14,000 trucks call at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, emitting roughly 2,600 tons per year of smog-causing nitrogen-oxide emissions. TTSI’s 40 new heavy-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks reduce these emissions by 90%. In addition, when fueled with RNG, the trucks will reduce GHG emissions by more than 80%.

“If every one of the 14,000 trucks that call at these ports were changed to natural gas, it would have a major impact on air quality in the region,” says Vic LaRosa, president of TTSI. “We hope other haulers will follow our lead and make the switch, as well.”

“Clean Energy is proud to continue our partnership with TTSI in deploying this fleet of 40 CNG trucks, a journey that started 12 years ago,” notes Greg Roche, vice president of Clean Energy. “The renewable natural gas used by these trucks will immediately and affordably drive down greenhouse-gas emissions better than any other option available to trucking.”

Through analysis and testing, TTSI found that the Cummins Westport trucks met the company’s busy drayage operation needs. The trucks will be operated by TTSI’s Heavy Load Transfer LLC division (Port Drayage).

“Cummins Westport is proud to support a near-zero-emissions strategy for our customers and industry,” says Tom Swenson, business development manager at Cummins Westport. “Our product line offers trucking businesses the benefits of performance and reliability at ultra-low-emissions levels.”