Tom Wurdack, fleet manager for Renzenberger for the past four years, said reduced maintenance costs and less downtime are some of the benefits that come with the new propane autogas vans.

Tom Wurdack, fleet manager for Renzenberger for the past four years, said reduced maintenance costs and less downtime are some of the benefits that come with the new propane autogas vans. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Renzenberger, Inc. is driving toward greater environmental sustainability and it’s taking its customers along for the ride — literally. The crew transportation company has added 10 propane-autogas-powered passenger vans to its fleet of more than 1,200 vehicles, which are used to haul railroad crew members from facility to facility.

Renzenberger showcased several of its 10 new alternative-fuel vehicles Aug. 21 at BNSF Railway’s intermodal facility in San Bernardino, Calif. BNSF transports products and materials across 28 states in the U.S. According to Lena Kent, BNSF regional director of public affairs, the freight transportation company has managed to cut emissions by 50 percent since 2005 and is fortunate to have service partners like Renzenberger doing its “fair share” to run more environmentally-friendly operations.

The Ford E-350 passenger vans, each equipped with a dedicated ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas fuel system, are used to transport BNSF railroad crews across San Bernardino and throughout Southern California.(Click here to see video of the vans.)

The vans typically transport two to four crew members around to different facility locations. Feedback from crew members has been positive, with drivers reporting little change from driving conventional gasoline models, according to Karen Seitter, president of Renzenberger, Inc.

Tom Wurdack, fleet manager for Renzenberger, said the 1,200-unit fleet is comprised primarily of vans and SUVs, about 75 percent of which are vans. The fleet’s vehicles travel approximately 50,000-60,000 miles per year and have an average lifecycle of 40-48 months.

Wurdack said the company piloted one of the ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas vans for several weeks in the Midwest before adding the new units to the fleet. With benefits such as reduced maintenance costs and less downtime, “Why would you not want to use propane?” Wurdack emphasized, noting the payback for the new vans would occur when they reach about 80,000-85,000 miles.

In addition to the new ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas vans, the fleet’s green efforts include a no-idle policy to help reduce greenhouse gases and fuel consumption.

Renzenberger’s Kansas City fleet was recently featured as a Clean Cities Success Story on MotorWeek.

By Grace Suizo

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