HOUSTON, Texas — In an effort to address the both the benefits and challenges of mass adoption of natural gas by fleets in the transportation industry, American Business Conferences will be hosting the Natural Gas Fleet Vehicles North American Congress in Houston this fall.

The event, sponsored by Truck News, is being touted by organizers as “[n]ot just an industry get-together…[but] a commercially driven, solutions-based initiative, providing the most comprehensive analysis of natural gas vehicles to date.”  

The conference will showcase more than 20 national fleet operators, all successful early adopters of this technology, “to give delegates a true and measurable picture of the costs, initial strategies and practical, day to day operational issues related to using natural gas for fleet.” Fleet representatives will include Robert Transport, Frito-Lay, Saddle Creek Transportation, J.B.Hunt, and many more.

Day one will open with insight from early technology adopters, as well as fleet operators considering natural gas introduction for the first time, before scrutinizing the comparative pros and cons of LNG and CNG by companies that have already made the choice themselves. Organizers say realistic expectations for vehicle performance will then be investigated, including conversion technology, engine power, fuel economy and range. The day will close with a study of maintenance requirements and likely through-life costs.

Day two will focus on the core concerns of infrastructure and strategic business considerations. The infrastructure focus will explore corporate views of infrastructure development, the differing private/partnership approaches to infrastructure development and finally support infrastructure requirements. The second half of the day will detail government financial support, regulatory requirements, safety education and finally analysis of the revenue generation opportunities associated with green fleet introduction.

The conference will take place Oct. 23-24 at the Renaissance Houston Greenway Plaza Hotel in Houston. Truck News readers are being offered a 15% discount on the registration fee. To take advantage of the discount, click here. For more information, visit www.natural-gas-fleet-vehicle-congress.com.