Nicholas Trucking Co. Inc., an 80-year-old, family-owned Pennsylvania-based USPS mail contractor, is operating its first propane autogas vehicles in its fleet.
Three Ford F-750 propane vehicles were deployed this year, and the company is looking to add five more in the next year.
“Our goal is to transition away from diesel and continually add more near-zero-emission vehicles to our 45-vehicle fleet,” says Alexander Nicholas, chief operations officer for Nicholas Trucking.
Nicholas cites the rising cost of diesel as one of the major catalysts for the company’s move to propane vehicles. Propane typically costs 50% less per gallon than diesel. Nicholas Trucking is currently saving more than 53% on fuel costs and will get $0.37 per gallon additional savings through the federal alternative tax credit.
Nicholas says the company was also looking for a greener alternative to diesel emissions.
“Vehicles that run on propane emit fewer greenhouse gases, smog-producing hydrocarbons, and particulate emission than conventional fuels,” says Todd Mouw, executive vice president at ROUSH CleanTech, a manufacturer of clean transportation technology. “Our propane engines are 90% cleaner than the Environmental Protection Agency’s most stringent standards.”
According to the Propane Education & Research Council, parcel delivery fleets across the country have been adopting propane autogas.
“With propane vehicles, fleet owners can significantly reduce their emissions while saving on operation and energy costs – and do it without compromising on reliability, range or performance,” says Steve Whaley, PERC’s director of autogas.
Nicholas Trucking installed fueling infrastructure onsite through a partnership with AmeriGas.
