Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS, AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS BY JACK ROBERTS Are glider kits the way to start using natural gas? Lower acquisition costs may help fleets make transition D Glider kits, such as this one for a 2014 Freightliner Columbia, can allow fleets to begin using natural gas trucks for less than purchasing a new dedicated LNG or CNG vehicle. GLIDER ORIGINS: The concept was born in the Pacific Northwest logging industry when trucks were damaged by rolling logs. TITLE TRANSFER: Regulations allow fleets or manufacturers to transfer an uring a recent visit to Salt Lake City, I learned that a partnership of existing truck title to a glider kit. companies is looking to make it easier for fleets to enter the natuIMMEDIATE BENEFITS: Fleets enjoy ral gas market. The key player in the cooperative effort is American lower emissions, reduced acquisition and Power Group, a manufacturer of aftermarket natural gas fuel systems. fuel costs and a higher resale value. The company designed its patented natural gas turbocharged dual-fuel conversion system to be simple and affordable for retrofit to diesel engines or installation on new 2014 model-year glider kits. to a glider kit. The main consideration The result, says Steve Majkowski, APG's vice president of sales and marketing, is that the glider must be powered with is a fuel-efficient productive truck that uses diesel fuel for combustion but burns a remanufactured engine and coman average 50-65 percent natural gas in daily vocational and hauling applications. ponents equal to or better than the Most appealing for fleets, Majkowski says, is the much lower acquisition cost of the truck's original equipment. If you're a glider kits, which he says allows fleets to begin using natural gas trucks for $30,000 Detroit Series 60 fan, for instance, you to $70,000 less than purchasing a new dedicated natural gas vehicle. can purchase a glider kit with a 1998 Other companies have joined APG to create a full-fledged natural gas package rebuilt engine that takes advantage of for interested fleets. They include the WheelTime Network, which assembles 2014 the latest emissions and fuel economy Freightliner Columbia tractors with APG natural gas fuel systems and also protechnologies – a perfect blend of proven vides natural gas glider customers with fully-certified nationwide maintenance and components and new technology. repair support. Utah-based Smith Power Products is a member of the WheelTime Majkowski says APG's glider trucks Network. are new 2014 model-year trucks that Ervin Group USA also is assembling and selling glider trucks but primarily acts offer immediate emissions and fuel as the financing arm of this business venture, helping fleets with various financing economy benefits, including reduced and leasing packages to get them into the vehicles. Natural gas supplier Blu.LNG acquisition and fuel costs and a higher is the final piece of the puzzle; the Utah-based company is developing liquefied resale value – with or without the comnatural gas fueling stations and infrastructure throughout the nation and working pany's fuel system – thanks to natural closely with interested fleets to get fuel to them – including a portable onsite fueling gas being a cleaner-burning fuel. The station that can be driven to a remote fleet location, be set up and begin result appears to be a highly fueling trucks in a few hours' time. productive yet affordable Mark Meier, Smith Power Products drivetrain/natural gas sales repreway for fleets to gain valuable sentative, says confusion over glider kits and how they can benefit fleets experience with both LNG still pervades the trucking industry. The concept of a glider, Meier says, and compressed natural gas was born in the Pacific Northwest logging industry; trucks routinely were fuel while cutting emissions hit by rolling logs, which bashed in cabs and bodies but left drivetrains and saving significantly on and chassis intact. Over time, government regulations allowed fleets to fuel costs. "recycle" these trucks by replacing cabs and bodies. Today, gliders are more a title transfer than anything else; current JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. regulations allow fleets or manufacturers to transfer an existing truck title E-mail jroberts@ccjmagazine.com or call (205) 248-1358. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2013 23