Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/252139
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2014 39 T he first part of my test drive began westbound on Interstate 80 out of Salt Lake City, on the level desert run that leads to the Bonneville Salt Flats. The goal then had been to find flat ground and a little traffic to give me a feel for the truck. But now, we'd doubled back and were climbing the Wasatch Mountains east of the city on I-215 leading to I-80 East toward Park City. Here, I'd get a chance to pull some serious mountain grades and see for myself if a dual-fuel diesel-ignited natural gas truck engine was up to hauling 44,000 pounds in demanding terrain. Starting up the first grade, the road suddenly began a series of winding S-turns at the same time that construction took a couple of lane options off the table. The truck was pulling well, but I grabbed another gear just to be on the safe side. It turned out to be the most remarkable thing that occurred during my test drive. That's not a slam against the Freightliner Columbia I was driving, but rather a vindication that this rig – a glider kit fitted with a refurbished diesel engine that itself was retrofitted with an American Power Group natu- ral gas fuel system – had performed exactly as the folks at APG, the Wheel Time Group and Smith Power, the manufacturer of the truck, had assured me it would. WHAT LIES BENEATH? I previously reported on the partnership among a team of glider kit builders, sales and support provider Wheel Time, natural gas supplier Blu and APG to introduce natural gas glider kits to the North American trucking industry (CCJ December 2013). Fleets wishing to find an affordable way to get into the natural gas game can spec glider kits with retrofit fuel systems and save as much as $40,000 on the vehicle compared to purchasing a new, dedicated natural gas truck. A further enticement is that fleets can spec older pre-exhaust gas recirculation emissions engines to power these trucks – and enjoy more reliable power and serviceability in the bargain. My test rig was a gleaming white 2014 Freightliner Co- lumbia daycab truck. On the outside, even seasoned industry veterans would be unable to tell that this truck was anything other than a new Columbia. Climbing into the cab, that reaction was further rein- forced: The interior still had a factory-fresh smell with modern instrumentation and gauges, mirrors and ergo- nomics. Because the truck had been spec'd as a regional- haul daycab, its interior appointments were basic. But if a fleet wanted to upgrade the interior with the latest Daimler diagnostic and telematics systems, it wouldn't be a problem. In a CCJ exclusive, a road test and firsthand experience with natural gas retrofit fuel systems and glider kits reveal interesting possibilities for cost-minded truck fleets BY JACK ROBERTS The 2014 Freightliner Columbia daycab was a glider kit fitted with a refurbished diesel engine that itself was retrofitted with an American Power Group natural gas fuel system. For the life of me, I don't understand why everyone isn't trying this, because the numbers work. – Brian Orr, president, Stewart Logistics