U.S. Postal Service Contractor Chooses Propane Vehicles for Parcel Deliveries

For the first time, some U.S. Postal Service packages are being delivered via emission-reducing propane autogas trucks.

McAbee Trucking, a freight shipping and trucking company based in Blacksburg, S.C., purchased eight Ford F-750 delivery trucks fueled by propane autogas, a domestically produced, clean and economical alternative fuel. The vehicles are used for contracted parcel delivery routes between USPS locations in North and South Carolina.

Making the Choice

“As a business owner, I continually look for ways to add safety, improve day-to-day operations, advocate for environmental preservation and save money,” said Lisa McAbee, owner of McAbee Trucking. “Our new propane fleet vehicles accomplish all these goals. Propane autogas is really a great fit for the size and duty cycle of the trucks we use in our business.”

Reduced Costs

Propane autogas provides the lowest total cost-of-ownership compared with other fuels. On average, the fuel is 40 percent less expensive than gasoline and about 50 percent less than diesel. Maintenance is reduced due to the fuel’s clean composition. There are no complex and costly after-treatment systems. Propane vehicles eliminate components like diesel particulate filters, EGR coolers and the whole array of SCR parts, along with the downtime diesel failures can lead to. Plus, most fleets lock in an annual per-gallon fuel cost for propane so price and supply remains consistent, allowing for better budgeting.

Propane autogas costs about 40 percent less than gasoline, and 50 percent less than diesel. Propane fleets report savings of 30 to 50 percent on filters and fluids due to the clean operation of the fuel.

Environmental Sustainability

Propane autogas engine technology has progressed to the point where emissions are reduced to near zero. Each of McAbee’s trucks is equipped with a Ford 6.8L V10 engine and ROUSH CleanTech propane fuel system, which is 90-percent cleaner than the Environmental Protection Agency’s most stringent heavy-duty emission standard.

According to a University of California-Riverside study, diesel-fueled heavy-duty vehicles are the number one source of nitrogen oxide emissions in almost every single metropolitan region in the United States. The U.S. Energy Department’s Alternative Fuels Data Center notes that 55 percent of manmade nitrogen oxide emissions comes from motor vehicles.

A recent study by West Virginia University’s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions (CAFEE) — the same organization that exposed the Volkswagen diesel scandal — demonstrated that nitrogen oxide emissions are 17 to 34 times higher for stop-and-go routes common for actual use in a diesel bus than in a propane bus.

ROUSH CleanTech recently received a “Top 20 Award” for the second year in a row from Heavy Duty Trucking magazine. The award recognizes the company’s near-zero emission propane vehicles.

Easy Fueling

To fuel its new fleet, the company plans to install a propane station onsite. Until then, McAbee Trucking has onsite “mobile fueling,” where its local propane supplier fuels the vehicles from a propane delivery truck.

There are thousands of propane autogas fueling stations in the United States, with stations in every state. But because propane fueling infrastructure in inexpensive, many fleet managers elect to install low- or no-cost onsite fueling infrastructure, eliminating trips to off-site stations. Propane providers specialize in helping fleets choose the right fueling option based on the fleet size, routes, budget and facility space. ROUSH CleanTech has helped hundreds of its customers find and partner with local fuel suppliers.

Safety First

The fuel itself is nontoxic, non-carcinogenic and non-corrosive. Fuel tanks used to hold propane autogas are 20 times more puncture-resistant than gasoline or diesel tanks. They are constructed from carbon steel in compliance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ROUSH CleanTech designs its propane fuel systems with redundant safety features to ensure system integrity under conditions like impact and heat.

In addition, propane vehicles reduce noise levels by about half compared with a diesel engine, providing a huge safety advantage for McAbee Trucking drivers.

McAbee Trucking propane trucks are backed by 45 years of Roush engineering and an extensive warranty and service network.

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