Article created for the digital issue听of听the 黑料社区Foundation鈥檚 magazine.
The truck stop and travel center industry is fuel agnostic and strives to offer whatever fuels its customers demand. Diesel fuel remains the primary fuel used within the trucking industry, especially for long-haul over- the-road freight movement.
However, the industry is currently evolving to meet demand for new fueling technologies, such as electric vehicle charging stations, and preparing to meet future fueling needs.
Evaluating Fuel Offerings
While most heavy-duty Class 8 trucks run on diesel, the use of alternative fuels in the trucking industry continues to increase, and truck stops and travel centers are essential to their distribution.
鈥淚 do think that sometime in the next five, 10, 20 years truck stops will look materially different than they do today,鈥� said David Fialkov, executive vice president of government affairs for NATSO, while speaking at 2023. 鈥淚 think the pace and extent of the changes that are coming in the next generation will be far more robust than it has been, mainly because the fuels that truck stops are going to sell are going to be different than the ones we have been selling.鈥�
This excerpt from the Travel Center and Truck Stop New Build Toolkit听covers fuels you may want to consider include:
Biodiesel: Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from domestic, renewable resources such as plant oils, recycled cooking greases or oils, animal fats or even new sources such as algae. It is widely available today and is blended with diesel fuel. Biodiesel blending can provide several economic benefits for you, enabling you to increase fuel margins while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Biodiesel has higher cetane than U.S. diesel fuel. That means that B20, which is a 20% blend of biodiesel with diesel fuel, provides similar fuel economy, horsepower and torque as diesel fuel, according to the National Biodiesel Board. Additionally, biodiesel has superior lubricity, and it has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel. Biodiesel is compatible with existing equipment up to B20, so you don鈥檛 need to add equipment to offer it.
If you want to add biodiesel, one of the most critical elements to consider is availability, which can come through a terminal, rail access or an established partner. 鈥淵ou can buy directly from the plant if there is a biodiesel plant near you,鈥� said .
can assist you with your biodiesel program and offer detailed information on economic opportunities, the savings biodiesel can provide, sourcing biodiesel and how to blend it. For more information, contact Laidlaw at (515) 988-1626 or glaidlaw@natsoaltfuels.com.
Renewable Diesel Fuel: Renewable diesel fuel is a clean fuel option that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and meets the same specifications as petroleum diesel. It is identical in composition to petroleum diesel fuel and can be used as a drop-in replacement for diesel, meaning it doesn鈥檛 have to be mixed with other fuel. There are little to no modifications needed to fueling equipment or storage or the diesel engine.Renewable diesel fuel can be produced from various biomass sources, including vegetable oils, animal fats, greases, algae, crop residues, woody biomass and dedicated energy crops. Renewable Identification Numbers, Low-Carbon- Fuel-Standard (LCFS) credits and the Blender鈥檚 Tax Credit are currently available incentives.Currently, renewable diesel fuel is used on the West Coast.
鈥淓conomically, due to the demand and the LCFS credit, until logistical hurdles can be improved and/or more incentives are available in other parts of the U.S., it will be predominantly used on the West Coast,鈥� Laidlaw said, adding that supply is an issue in other parts of the country. 鈥淭he demand and the incentives are what is driving everyone to ship everything to the West Coast.鈥�
Laidlaw and the can assist with renewable diesel fuel.
Electric Vehicles: The number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road continues to increase, which means it is important to consider EVs, even if you don鈥檛 plan to install EV charging right away.The projects that EVs, including both battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), will account for between 13% and 29% of new light-duty vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2050 and between 11% and 26% of on-road light-duty vehicle stocks. The stat that gets most of the headlines are new EV car sales, but gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles will remain in use for years to come. While the numbers remain a small part of the overall vehicles and equipment in the U.S., they indicate future growth you鈥檒l want to watch.
Within the trucking industry, interest in EVs is also on the rise. The reported that publicly announced orders of over-the-road Class 2-8 BEVs rose 640%, from 4,500 in 2021 to more than 33,000 in 2022.
黑料社区believes the best way to increase EV charging infrastructure throughout the United States is through private sector investment by businesses that currently serve the motoring public.
The price of the charging stations can vary tremendously. On the low side, they can cost $100,000 to potentially multiples of that, but incentives can help offset costs, making equipment and installation more affordable and can help you enter the charging space. Even if you don鈥檛 currently plan on offering EV charging, you should evaluate layout and power considerations that will allow you to do it in the future. You should also look at incentives that may make sense for you to do it now.
黑料社区has extensive information on its website about EV funding opportunities here.
Hydrogen: The North American Council for Freight Efficiency鈥檚 research report, 鈥�,鈥� found hydrogen is one of the best options for the long-haul trucking industry. According to the report, two hydrogen paths are emerging, fuel cell electric and new hydrogen internal combustion engines. While hydrogen is not optimum for all duty cycles, hydrogen fuel cell tractors are the only viable zero-emission solution currently proposed for one-for-one replacements for diesel in the future of long-haul heavy-duty trucks.Hydrogen vehicles are zero-emission, can be refueled in 10 to 15 minutes and have a range of 300 to 500 miles. Plus, there is less of a weight penalty with hydrogen-fueled trucks.
and a speaker at 2023, said OEMs are developing hydrogen trucks, and many are in the testing phase. 鈥淏y 2026, they鈥檒l have trucks,鈥� he said, adding that most hydrogen vehicles will utilize a fuel cell. 鈥淚nstead of storing your electricity on board as an electron, you store it in the form of a molecule鈥攈ydrogen.
During 黑料社区Connect 2023, , encouraged operators to get involved in hydrogen projects at the state level. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e anywhere close to an interstate highway, you need to be watching this. Hydrogen is just another fuel that our customers will want and need, and we have an opportunity to provide it,鈥� he said.
//听This article was created for听Stop Watch magazine, the magazine of the 黑料社区Foundation. The 黑料社区Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The 黑料社区Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas鈥� ability to meet the traveling public鈥檚 needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit www.natsofoundation.org for more information.
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