Several of the nation’s top alternative fuel experts have joined forces to form the Alternative Fuel Training Network, which was launched in response to the need to provide professional alternative-fuel fleet training. The network launched this month on the new website AFVtraining.net.

“For the first time, America is experiencing a meaningful shift in our energy supply,” said Greg Zilberfarb, an alternative fuels expert who led the formation of the consortium. “We’re on the cusp of a quantum leap as a nation, which creates a need for fleets to learn how to effectively implement alternative fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, propane and biodiesel."

The consortium makes training available for mechanics, drivers, and station operators. It presents the opportunity for a fleet to find quality training on the primary alternative fuels in one place, at a reasonable cost, according to the consortium. All trainers are nationally recognized experts in their fields.

“Our trainers are hand-picked professionals who are the best in the business,” Zilberfarb said.  “We come to your site at your convenience, and are dedicated to helping your fleet with this important transition at an affordable price.”

The trainers include:
•    Rob Adams is a licensed professional engineer and certified management accountant. Since 1984, Adams has been involved with the design and installation of nearly 200 hundred compressed natural gas (CNG) stations.
•    Franz Hofmann has worked in the transportation industry for more than four decades in capacities including diagnostics and repair, training, service, and fleet management, as well as all areas of alternative fuels.
•    Bill McGlinchey has more than 30 years of technical automotive experience, with the last 20 dedicated to alternative fuels. He specializes in alternative fuels training, curriculum development and project management. McGlinchey authored the test used in the natural gas cylinder inspection certification.
•    Richard Nelson has more than 24 years of expertise in the biodiesel and bioenergy field and has served as a consultant to Monsanto, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Biodiesel Board, among others.
•    Jenna Higgins Rose will lead media training for fleets wanting to maximize their alternative fuel exposure. A former television journalist, she served as director of communications for the National Biodiesel Board for almost 10 years, during which time awareness of biodiesel among consumers rose from 27 percent to 86 percent.