Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85437
severe service ing from its Chinatown Plant near downtown with Kenworth's com- pressed natural gas-powered W900S mixers. "Since city officials are try- ing to reduce emissions from trucks that operate in downtown Chicago, we thought placing all of our new CNG trucks in operation there would have the greatest impact," says Tim Ozinga, company spokesman. The company's CNG-powered mixers were delivered late last year, spec'd with the 8.9-liter, 320-hp Cummins-Westport ISL G engines, six-speed Allison 4500RDS auto- matic transmissions and McNeilus 42 OVERDRIVE JUNE 2012 Lucky 13 C hicago-based Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete has replaced 13 mixer trucks work- Bridgemaster mixer bodies. The company has plans to install a time-fill fueling station at the Chinatown plant as it replaces more of its diesel-powered mixers with new Kenworth CNG-powered units. "Drivers have told us that they're responsive, shift fast and provide good power," says Ozinga Fleet Manager Pete Huisenga. "They also tell us the engines are remarkably quiet and the truck interiors are very comfortable." The price premium for CNG truck technology, Ozinga estimates, will be returned in 2.5 years, given that natural gas cost has been con- sistently around $1.50 less than Ozinga Ready Mix drivers report plenty of power, responsive shifting from Cummins- Westport natural gas- powered Kenworths. the diesel gallon equivalent. For a company that relies on residential rehab and construction projects for 50 percent of its business, that might seem a risky investment, but Ozinga is positioning itself for the future. "More and more homeowners and small businesses are looking to source their concrete from compa- nies that can demonstrate a com- mitment to a greener operation," says Ozinga. "Contractors are also looking for suppliers who can help them with improving their chances for meeting certification require- ments for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System."