Anheuser-Busch Converts 66 Truck Fleet in Houston

On Thursday, Ryder System announced that it is partnering with Anheuser-Busch to replace the beer company’s 66 diesel tractor fleet in Houston with CNG ones. This marks Anheuser- Busch’s first conversion of an entire fleet. “The next generation CNG engine technology paired with support from state incentive programs contributed to our ability to take such a significant step in fully converting our Houston fleet,” said James Sembrot, Senior Director, Transportation, Anheuser-Busch. “Houston is a strategic choice due to the central location to our facilities and distribution radius, as well as its proximity to fueling stations.” The CNG conversion comes as the 2014 football season kicks off one of the company’s busiest shipping periods of the year—with 17 million cases of beer shipped by the Houston fleet during the the June-August period. In June, the company added an environmental goal to reduce carbon emissions in its logistics operations from network planning, transportation, and warehousing by 15 percent by the end of 2017. The transition to natural gas in its fleet operations is an important way in which Anheuser-Busch plans to achieve this goal. The natural gas trucks are being made available through Ryder’s participation in the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program (TNGVGP), funded by the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) initiatives and administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). As part of the lease agreement, Ryder will maintain the vehicles out of its Houston service facility. This is Ryder’s first project with Anheuser-Busch and Ryder’s largest NGV deployment to date.