Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores will purchase five additional CNG-powered trucks to support Amarillo, Texas expansion.
Love’s Travel Stops is introducing fast-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling capability for heavy-duty trucks at its travel stop located on Interstate 40 at exit 74 in east Amarillo, Texas.
The Love’s Fast-Fill CNG station is expected to be open by the second quarter of 2014.
“Our expansion signifies the natural progression of working with fleets interested in the fuel cost savings offered by Love’s Fast-Fill CNG,” said Jon Archard, director of fleet sales at Love’s. “Professional drivers filling up with CNG see a two dollar savings per gallon-equivalent over diesel. That economic edge creates an incentive for fleets to look into the viability of fast-fill CNG.”
Love’s Fast-Fill CNG expansion in Texas began with eight locations, spanning highways between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio and will now include this addition to the I-40 corridor. With Amarillo, Love’s will offer fast-fill CNG at 11 of its travel stops across Texas and Oklahoma. As part of its expansion, Love’s has purchased 55 CNG-powered trucks for its own fuel hauling fleet, including five for its Amarillo location.
“By introducing CNG into our private truck fleet, Gemini Motor Transport, Love’s is better able to anticipate our customer’s fueling needs,” Archard said. “We know solutions that work for our fleet can work for our customer as well.”
Love’s Fast-Fill CNG gives professional drivers a similar experience to filling up with Love’s diesel or DEF. Love’s CNG stations are designed to deliver a fill rate of at least 10 gallons per minute in all lanes, meaning a driver can fill a 100 gallon-equivalent tank in 10 minutes or less. These in-lane, fast-fill CNG dispensers have garnered increased interest from trucking fleets. Dillon Transport’s fleet, with more than 400 trucks and 700 trailers, plans to fuel CNG trucks at the Amarillo Love’s location.
“Our fleet will operate 10 CNG trucks with the new Cummins ISX G engine to support multiple customers in the Amarillo area,” said Charles Musgrove, vice president of Dillon Transport. “We are planning for these trucks to fuel at the Amarillo Love’s location. We are committed to natural gas as a transport fuel and look forward to fielding more CNG units over the next two quarters in Texas.”
Love’s will offer in-lane, fast-fill CNG at the following locations by the second quarter of 2014.
Ft. Worth – I-35 W, Exit 40
Dallas – I-35/I-20, Exit 466
Rockwall – I-30, Exit 283
Willis – I-45, Exit 95
Houston – 610 Loop, Exit 24A
Katy – I-10, Exit 737
San Antonio – I-35, Exit 144
Seguin – I-10, Exit 604
Amarillo – I-40, Exit 74
Oklahoma City – I-40, Exit 140
Oklahoma City – I-40, Exit 166
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla.