2Sustain

Over the past month, UPS has deployed 245 new delivery trucks powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to cities in Colorado and California. They join more than 900 CNG vehicles already in use by UPS worldwide.

Specifically, the new trucks are now at work in Denver (140 trucks) and four cities in California: San Ramon (18), Fresno (16), West Los Angeles (59) and Ontario (12). They are expected to yield a 15 percent emissions reduction over the cleanest diesel engines available in the market today.

“The greening of our fleet demonstrates the effectiveness of harnessing multiple technologies and applying the right vehicles to areas where they will provide the best advantage,” says Bob Stoffel, UPS senior vice president of supply chain, strategy, engineering and sustainability. “Compressed Natural Gas continues to be a sustainable technology for UPS’s fleet because natural gas is cost effective, clean-burning and abundant.”

UPS first deployed CNG-powered delivery trucks in the 1980s, and these days, the company operates one of the largest private fleets of alternative fuel vehicles in its industry – more than 1,900 in total with the latest CNG additions. For its alternative fuel fleet, UPS has deployed CNG, Liquefied Natural Gas, propane, electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Brazil, Chile, Korea and the United Kingdom. In addition, the company was the first in the industry to purchase hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles and has conducted research with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Of course, an initiative like this not only helps UPS meet its own corporate sustainability goals –it also allows UPS to offer competitive advantage to small and medium-sized businesses working to lower the environmental impact of their supply chains, as well.