RoadEx America, a large California drayage company, is adding 16 natural gas trucks to its fleet that will run on renewable natural gas via the Chevron and Clean Energy partnership Adopt-A-Port program.

RoadEx has committed to an approximate 960,000 gallons of renewable natural gas over the contract term. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is made from organic waste.

Wayne Nastri, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Southern California, spoke about the role RNG heavy-duty trucks can play in improving the air quality around the Ports in a nine-page letter sent to environmental justice groups.

“Near-zero emission (NZE) technology has been commercially demonstrated and is available today, has sufficient fueling infrastructure largely funded by the private sector, and is at least 90% cleaner than new diesel trucks on NOx and 100% cleaner on cancer-causing diesel particulate matter,” Nastri said. “When fueled by renewable natural gas, these vehicles can also provide substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions. Further, these vehicles are far more cost-effective than ZE trucks (electric trucks), allowing limited incentive funds to stretch further.”  

Adopt-A-Port is a partnership between Chevron and California natural gas retailer Clean Energy Fuels Corp. It provides truck operators serving the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with cleaner, carbon-negative renewable natural gas to reduce emissions. In addition to providing funding that helps subsidize fleet efforts to convert to RNG trucks, Chevron supplies RNG to Clean Energy stations near the ports. Clean Energy manages the program. Truck operators participating in the program, which supports the ports’ Clean Trucks Program and Clean Air Action Plan, agree to fuel up at the Clean Energy stations supplied with Chevron RNG.

Eric Hooper, driver and terminal relations manager for RoadEx, thanked SCAQMD, Velocity Truck Centers, and Clean Energy. "Our partnership with these companies and government agencies to help protect the air quality in Southern California has been and will continue to be an important part of our effort to help reduce pollution in the state of California."

RoadEx also provides truckload, less-than-truckload, and warehousing services.

Other companies that added natural gas trucks through Adopt-A-Port in the second quarter of 2021 include Total Distribution Service, Supra National Express, JL Xpress,  Pac9 Transportation, Atlas Marine, Kargo Transportation, Henean Trucking, France C. Alegre Trucking, and NGL Logistics, for an anticipated combined total of 1.3 million gallons of RNG.