Natural gas comes naturally to UPS
The fl eet has implemented
modifi cations to service
natural gas vehicles at
some maintenance facility
locations, including ventilation
and detection systems.
UPS first added compressed natural gas
(CNG) to its fleet in 1989, later delving
into liquid natural gas (LNG) in 2002.
The company has made significant investments
in this alternative fuel over the past
few years, most recently adding more than
700 CNG vehicles in June. The UPS fleet now
operates well over 5,000 CNG and LNG vehicles
including semi-tractors, terminal trucks
and delivery vehicles. UPS also operates
more than 50 natural gas fueling stations.
Rick Jordan, automotive senior director of maintenance
and engineering for the UPS delivery
fleet, says the company’s maintenance facilities
have had to undergo some modifications. The
primary monetary investment has come by
way of additional exhaust fans in many of the
facilities. Additionally, the company decided to
install methane detection systems in all facilities
– even though detection systems are considered
optional for facilities servicing just CNG.
“When you have a coast-to-coast operation
like UPS, it’s important to think about all of the
different codes and requirements that are out
there,” Jordan says. “We developed a natural
38 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2018
gas program that encompasses all of the different
codes we encounter because we like
to standardize facilities and training as much
as possible. Some jurisdictions require methane
detection, and that has meant installing
methane detection systems in all facilities.”
As Jordan points out, no two facilities are
the same. Standardization is great, at least
to the degree to which a fleet can achieve
it. In some instances, UPS established
stand-alone natural gas facilities. In other
instances, only part of an existing facility
was modified to work on natural gas.
“Depending on local codes, we typically
had to build some additional walls to contain
» UPS has
implemented
modifications
to service
natural gas
vehicles at some
maintenance
facility locations,
including
ventilation
and detection
systems.
Photo courtesy of UPS
the natural gas shop area from the
rest of the operation,” Jordan says.
Once the modifications happen and the
infrastructure is in place, Jordan says a fleet is
ready to begin reaping the benefits of natural
gas. Standard operating procedures, PPE and
training cannot be neglected, though – especially
in those instances where only a portion
of an existing facility has been modified.
When fleets provide evacuation training
for a stand-alone facility, only the people
working in that facility need the training.
But when fleets have a split facility, it’s
important that everyone understands what
is going on and receives the training.
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