91ÊÓƵ

PITTSBURGH — The Technology & Maintenance Council said it has formed new task forces to look at natural gas, coolant and electronics issues facing the trucking industry.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Trucking’s experiment with natural gas engines continues to expand, as another major truckload fleet said it was testing the fuel, and a medium-size fleet already reported significantly favorable results in regional and local shipping.

A new survey found 51.4% of carriers are considering natural gas-fueled trucks when buying new vehicles, according to Transport Capital Partners and ACT Research.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Executives with both for-hire and private fleets said they increasingly are turning to cost-saving technologies and natural gas to reduce expenses in a slow-growth economy.

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Kenworth Truck Co. continued its push into the natural gas market, providing journalists and customers an opportunity earlier this month to test multiple models with engines that run on the fuel that’s garnering significant attention from the trucking industry.

Trillium CNG on Monday announced a joint venture to built fueling stations with a focus on the Interstate 65 and I-75 trucking corridors and major routes in Texas.

DHL Express said it is set to begin using 100 pickup and delivery vans fueled by propane autogas in five more states.

Energy executive T. Boone Pickens will be the keynote speaker at American Trucking Associations’ Natural Gas in Trucking Summit in November, ATA said Wednesday.

Expanded U.S. oil and natural gas production could cut oil imports in half by 2020 and end them by 2035, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

As noted on other pages of this week’s edition of Transport Topics, American Trucking Associations will be conducting the first comprehensive summit on the use of natural gas in trucking.