Although our company color is bright red, Bay and Bay Transportation of Rosemount, MN is running green. The company recently added a pair of trucks that run exclusively on natural gas. While the trucks cost about 50 percent more than a normal diesel truck, natural gas trucks significantly reduce carbon emissions (50 to 80 percent per truck, depending on the source). Compressed natural gas is also a domestic fuel that reduces reliance on foreign oils. Plus, it’s abundant and costs about 50 percent less than diesel fuel.
“We’re definitely a pre-early adopter of this alternative fuels technology, but it’s worth the investment. We’re committed to trucks that run cleaner and use less fuel,” said Sam Anderson, president and CEO of Bay & Bay. The company already maintains the highest rating possible with the USEPA’s SmartWay® Program, a public-private initiative to improve fuel efficiency and the environmental performance (reduction of both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution) of the goods movement supply chains.
Bay & Bay’s two 12-liter compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks began running last month on dedicated short-haul routes in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Each truck can travel 450 miles or more between fuelings and hold the equivalent of 140 diesel gallons. Long term, Anderson sees the technology working in 10 to 20 percent of its fleet.