Chesapeake, VA鈥檚 ongoing conversion to Heil CNG-powered equipment has drastically reduced operational budgets while simultaneously improving the area鈥檚 waterways and air quality.
Rudy Frank
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Sometimes, curiosity and persistence just pay off鈥攅conomically and ecologically. George Hrichak is the long-time Fleet Manager for the City of Chesapeake, VA.听 A majority of his fleet hauls the city鈥檚 residential waste. A few years ago, his vast experience with Virginia Clean Cities, including a Board membership, prompted Hrichak to investigate the latest and leading CNG technologies to replace/retrofit his existing fleet of costly diesel-powered garbage trucks. 鈥淚鈥檝e always had a genuine interest in breakthrough forms of alternative energy. But until rather recently, such a massive conversion to a new fuel was extremely hard for me to justify to my superiors because a gallon of diesel was 86垄 versus 26垄 for the same amount of CNG,鈥� Hrichak begins.听 鈥淗owever, by the start of 2012, those per-gallon costs were over $3 and under $1.50, respectively鈥攎aking my argument to our City Manager, on economics alone, a very powerful one.鈥�
Placing the Truck Order
So, in July 2012, after considerable research and testing, Hrichak and Mike McColgan, Fleet Service Coordinator, placed the city鈥檚 first CNG truck order.听 In the end, only one equipment supplier stood out. 鈥淗eil Environmental, in Chattanooga, TN, proved it could deliver the lowest total cost per vehicle, hands-down,鈥� claims Hrichak.听 鈥淔rom configuring the tanks to installing the plumbing, Heil showed us an average charge per vehicle to convert that was almost 50 percent less than what other manufacturers could offer.鈥�
In just the first six months, the conversion of 17 diesel trucks to Heil CNG technology saved Chesapeake almost $120,000 in fuel costs.听 The 60-gallon-capacity, roof-mounted CNG tanks are ideally located for most of the work done by the city鈥檚 trash trucks, but Hrichak is also considering frame rail-mounted CNG tanks for other vehicles in his fleet.
Service and Support
Heil, however, brought more to the bargaining table than best cost.听 The world-renowned leader in ultra-durable, high-performance mobile refuse collection vehicles also demonstrated a superior ability to service and support every piece of equipment that would eventually make its way into the Chesapeake fleet. Then there were the substantial hands-on contributions of the city鈥檚 local Heil dealer, Mid-Atlantic Waste Systems (Eaton, MD). 鈥淢id-Atlantic has a rep right here.听 From day one, our local go-to, David Askew, was right there for鈥攁nd with鈥攗s as we began our transition from diesel to CNG bodies.听 During a trip to Heil鈥檚 Fort Payne, AL plant he showed us how the CNG trucks were actually made,鈥� says Hrichak.
That southern trip gave Hrichak and staff a first-hand look at the entire array of innovative Heil products, particularly the Rapid Rail庐 Continuous-Pack Automated Side Loader and its many unique advantages for precisely the types of hauling the City of Chesapeake performs. 鈥淧rior to testing that unit, we were primarily using competitive packers. We had significant difficulty with these bodies鈥攅verything from general breakdowns to floors and sides actually blowing out,鈥� begins McColgan.听 鈥淩ight away, we were impressed with the simplicity and quality of the Rapid Rail construction and functionality.听 We were also receiving plenty of overload tickets when using our compaction loaders.听 It鈥檚 almost impossible, though, to exceed the Rapid Rail unit鈥檚 weight limits.鈥�
The Bottom Line
For multiple reasons, Chesapeake has grown even more satisfied with its new CNG-fueled brand choice. First, the unit鈥檚 operator doesn鈥檛 have to leave the truck because the packing is done constantly and automatically.听 With the city鈥檚 previously used compaction loaders, trash would continually fall behind the blade, forcing the driver to stop and get out of the truck to remove the debris.听 The Rapid Rail system, however, eliminates any such issue, thus maximizing driver safety and lowering route times by up to one-and-a-half hours per day, per truck, because no paddle activation or hopper clearing is necessary.
Secondly, the tough-duty side loader requires extremely low maintenance.听 In fact, McColgan claims he鈥檚 had zero major 鈥渂ody鈥� issues since adding these vehicles to his line-up. Third, Heil and Mid-Atlantic, since acquiring Chesapeake as a customer, have stood firmly behind the equipment the city has purchased. 鈥淏ottom line: we get terrific cost-savings and expert support from both companies.听 In my mind, we are double-teamed by the premier manufacturer and dealer in the refuse vehicle industry,鈥� states Hrichak.
Economical and Environmental Impact
Hrichak鈥檚 goal is to have an entire fleet of 53 CNG-only trucks in operation within the next six years. The city is also building a dedicated fast-fill compressed natural gas filling station that will accommodate not only the city鈥檚 Public Works equipment, but will be open to the public as well. 鈥淲e want to provide a low-cost fuel option for area businesses 鈥� to make them more competitive as they negotiate contracts, even in the face of ongoing budget cuts, for their respective marketplaces.听 In my mind, the more CNG-fueled vehicles in everyday use in the Chesapeake area, the better stimulated the local and national economy,鈥� says Hrichak.
But the financial benefit is only one chapter of the Chesapeake CNG story.听听 There鈥檚 the massive environmental impact as well. 鈥淒ata now shows that every diesel-fuel garbage truck that鈥檚 replaced by a CNG unit equates to the removal of 325 cars from the road.听听 For our geography, that鈥檚 especially meaningful because as we cut back on the smog our equipment emits, we鈥檙e indirectly helping to protect the Chesapeake Bay,鈥� claims Hrichak.
There鈥檚 an even larger global 鈥渃onsideration鈥� related to Chesapeake鈥檚 conversion to CNG power. 鈥淰irginia produces 1.2-billion gas-gallon equivalents of natural gas per year.听 So, by using readily available Virginia-made fuel to run our vehicles, we鈥檙e less dependent on foreign fuel sources,鈥� says Hrichak.
Low fuel and maintenance costs, low emission, quiet and smooth machine operation, virtually no reliance on imported energy and exceptional technical support and service through a proven network of dealer are just a few of the ways Heil delivers the absolute lowest total cost of ownership for the City of Chesapeake鈥攁nd for thousands of other users worldwide. As George Hrichak can attest, his city鈥檚 ongoing conversion to Heil CNG-powered equipment has drastically reduced Chesapeake鈥檚 operational budgets while simultaneously improving the area鈥檚 waterways and air quality. It is truly a change for the better.
Rudy Frank is 35-year veteran of authoring B2B case studies and is VP of Branding and Marketing Communications at Mirage MarCom, a Marketing Strategy and Tactics agency in Monroeville, PA. He can be reached at (412) 372-4181, ext 130 or e-mail rfrank@miragemarcom. For more information, on Heil, contact Jennifer Shaffer, Director of Marketing Communications, at (423) 855-3488 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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