Chevron announced that 12 new CNG-powered trucks will serve its operations in San Joaquin Valley, California, carrying salt used to process water for steam generation. The new vehicles are owned and operated by Mashburn Transportation. This family- and woman-owned company has provided hauling services for Chevron for at least a decade.
“These are just our first 12 units. We’re definitely testing them, but if all things go well and our estimates are pretty accurate, then we’ll probably continue to transition the rest of the fleet over,” said Dwight Mashburn, General Manager, Mashburn Transportation
Mashburn chose natural gas, instead of other options, because it was the lower carbon alternative most capable of meeting its needs. The company needed trucks that could travel between 350-550 miles a day. Mashburn is also paid by weight for some of its cargo. Extra weight on a truck can limit the amount of product it can carry and still stay within road weight limits.
New CNG-powered engines were built by Cummins. They also provided training for Mashburn’s in-house mechanics so the company can continue to service their own vehicles.
CNG trucks can cost almost $60,000 more, but Mashburn expects to make that up in fuel and maintenance cost savings.
Mashburn’s new NGVs will fuel up at one of Chevron’s CNG stations. “We’re investing in lower carbon businesses including renewable natural gas and compressed natural gas. And we’re working with companies like Mashburn to transition from diesel fuel to lower carbon alternatives like CNG,” said Adam Richey, a Chevron business development specialist.
Source: Chevron
