USPS contractor adds 20 propane autogas trucks to fleet

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to commemorate the installation of a propane autogas refueling station at McAbee Trucking. Photo by Jason Ayers/SlicedTomato Productions, Inc.

McAbee Trucking, the first USPS-contracted fleet in the U.S. to operate vehicles with propane autogas, purchased 20 propane-fueled trucks, taking the fleet from seven to 27.

Lisa McAbee, the owner of McAbee Trucking, made the announcement during a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of McAbee Trucking’s own propane autogas refueling station.

“I want my legacy to be lowering my carbon footprint for my grandchildren so we can save our environment as quickly as possible,” McAbee says. “Propane autogas is the way to accomplish that goal. And because it’s affordable, I’ve actually saved money by investing in propane autogas instead of other energy sources.”

The fleet runs multiple mail routes for the USPS between Greenville, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Since McAbee’s adoption of propane autogas nearly two years ago, several other USPS-contracted fleets around the nation have followed her lead and transitioned to the clean energy source.

“McAbee Trucking is demonstrating that propane autogas is clean energy for everyone, including the USPS,” says Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). “Considering the number of miles these trucks drive every day, this is a big step toward cleaner air to breathe and a healthier community for all Carolinians. Lisa is showing the world that propane autogas is a vital part of the low emissions solution we need for a cleaner future.”

Currently, medium- and heavy-duty (MD-HD) propane-powered vehicles provide a lower carbon footprint solution in most U.S. states when compared to MD-HD electric vehicles charged from the electrical grid, according to PERC. In addition, MD-HD vehicles powered by renewable propane provide a lower carbon footprint solution in every state except Vermont, where electricity is generated by Canadian hydroelectric power plants.

“Both Alliance AutoGas and Blossman Gas are excited to partner with McAbee Trucking to bring the world’s most widely used alternative fuel to her fleet,” adds Stuart Weidie, chairman of PERC and CEO of Blossman Gas, the founding member of Alliance AutoGas and fueling partner of McAbee Trucking. “Propane is available right here, right now, and provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option to fleets across the U.S. As we continue to expand renewable propane in on-road applications, which has a lower carbon intensity score than electric vehicles, future production will lead to even more sustainable benefits for us all.”

The Palmetto Clean Fuels Coalition, Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, Roush CleanTech, North Carolina Propane Gas Association, South Carolina Propane Gas Association and Superior Energy Systems also contributed to McAbee Trucking’s success switching to propane autogas, PERC says.