Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/616038
100% LNG By 2018 Innovative Peterbilt fleet and visionary leadership drive Raven Transport "Trucking is a people business. It's not rocket science. If we can send a person to the moon and back, we should all be able to convert to clean energy." "With the price of oil at $40 per barrel, LNG is a single – not a home run. But, as we all know, there is inherent instability in foreign oil prices, and we must be prepared for a return to $70, $80, $100 per barrel prices." "It's a little bit of the chicken or the egg story. What comes first… finding the fuel or finding and servicing a compatible truck? In our case, it wasn't a choice. We were all in no matter what came first." Stephen Silverman was expecting to hear an impassioned speech from legendary oil and gas billionaire, energy activist and entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens at a recent trucking association event. He didn't expect to meet him. Turns out, Silverman and Pickens share a common vision for an ener- gy independent America and the role of liquid natural gas (LNG) in helping achieve that goal. LNG is natural gas that has been super-cooled to -260 degrees Fahrenheit. Silverman's fleet includes Peterbilt Model 579s powered by LNG and equipped with special thermos-like, double-wall-insulated cryogenic tanks that can reach upwards of 400 miles between re-fueling. "I am committed to having a greater America," says the COO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Raven Transport. "Put American labor to work, reduce our dependency on Middle Eastern oil, use American-produced clean energy, and we'll all be better off." Not surprisingly, the words Creating American Jobs With American Energy are boldly displayed in capital letters on the hood of every Raven vehicle. That commitment is further evi- denced in Raven's fleet of 485 tractors, nearly 200 of which are LNG-powered Peterbilt Model 579s. The majority of those, 115 to be precise, are sleeper units with interiors and accessories spec'd for driver comfort and safety. Raven currently services a geographic area that covers 21 states out of three terminals reaching from Houston to Stephen Silverman, COO of Raven Transport – FIRST CLASS l 7 raven transport