U.S. Postal Service contractor picks propane for parcel deliveries

McAbee Trucking, a freight shipping and trucking company based in Blacksburg, South Carolina, is helping the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliver packages on propane autogas.

McAbee Trucking and Roush CleanTech highlighted their partnership during The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, where they exhibited a 2018 Ford F-650. Photo by LP Gas Staff

A positive vehicle demonstration project motivated McAbee Trucking to purchase eight Ford F-750 delivery trucks equipped with Ford 6.8-liter V10 engines and Roush CleanTech propane fuel systems. The vehicles are used for contracted parcel delivery routes between USPS locations in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Lisa McAbee, vice president of McAbee Trucking, says the demonstration project – made possible with the help of Roush CleanTech and Steve Whaley of the Propane Education & Research Council – provided helpful insight into the truck’s performance, refueling process and costs.

“They educated us and we educated them,” McAbee says. “Everyone came together and created a truck that worked just perfectly for us.”

Propane autogas costs about 40 percent less than gasoline and 50 percent less than diesel, Roush CleanTech says. In addition, propane fleets report savings of 30 to 50 percent on filters and fluids due to the clean operation of the fuel. To fuel its new fleet, McAbee Trucking plans to install a propane station on-site.

“We’re really committed to the class 4-7 market, and there are so many different vocations of these trucks and how they’re used to deliver goods and services or people,” says Todd Mouw, president of Roush CleanTech. “This is another one; we have been knocking on the door for a while. There’s a big push to go green.

“Lisa and her team see this as an opportunity to deliver on that with propane and reduced emissions and costs,” Mouw adds. “It’s the versatility of the fuel we all love.”

McAbee Trucking and Roush CleanTech highlighted their partnership during The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, where they exhibited a 2018 Ford F-650.

Alliance AutoGas showcased its new aftermarket autogas system in a 2020 Ford F-250, featuring a 7.3-liter V8 engine. Photo courtesy of Alliance AutoGas

Alliance AutoGas unveils new technology

Alliance AutoGas’ new aftermarket autogas system was on display in a 2020 Ford F-250, featuring a 7.3-liter V8 engine.

The engine, which replaces the 6.8-liter model, boasts more horsepower and torque, provides an average savings of $1 per gallon on fuel and extends operating range over 700 miles between refueling, the company says of its bi-fuel option. It also gives fleets an added advantage of not having to service complicated emission control systems or buy DEF fluid, as needed with diesel engines.

Stuart Weidie, president and CEO of Alliance AutoGas founding member Blossman Gas, says the 7.3 liter is “a beautiful engine” that fits well on service truck platforms. A vehicle that runs on propane is reliable, cost-effective and provides diesel-like performance benefits, he adds.

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.’s propane-fueled S2G comes with two engine options: 8.0 liter and 8.8 liter. Photo by LP Gas Staff

S2G engine options

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) showcased an enhanced version of its propane-autogas S2G at The Work Truck Show. The S2G comes with two engine options – an 8.0 liter and an 8.8 liter from FCCC’s DriveForce lineup, its line of proprietary non-diesel engines for the commercial market.

“The message is this is not a legacy product. This is new and improved,” says Michael Stark, product manager at FCCC, emphasizing how the S2G provides customers with a factory-installed system and company-direct technical support.