Anheuser-Busch Converts St. Louis Trucking Fleet to CNG

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AB CNG truckAnheuser-Busch is replacing all 97 diesel-fueled tractors in its St. Louis fleet with new compressed natural gas-fueled tractors. By transitioning to the latest CNG technology, Anheuser-Busch expects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2,500 tons per year.

This St. Louis announcement marks Anheuser-Busch’s second full brewery fleet transition, following last year’s replacement of 66 tractors in Houston. Anheuser-Busch now operates about 30 percent of its entire heavy-haul dedicated fleet on natural gas.

The CNG conversion comes as the 2015 football season kicks off one of the St. Louis brewery’s busiest shipping periods of the year, with the CNG tractors shipping about 31 million cases of beer this fall. Through the advanced engine technology, the company anticipates a 23 percent reduction in greenhouse gases versus conventional diesel equipment.

Anheuser-Busch’s St. Louis brewery is one of the company’s largest facilities, serviced by a fleet that travels 11 million miles annually throughout the Midwest. The abundance of natural gas filling stations, combined with the fleet’s high mileage, made the company’s hometown of St. Louis a strategic choice following a successful conversion in Houston.

As part of the company’s “Seed to Sip” environmental commitment, the St. Louis CNG fleet conversion furthers a global initiative to reduce logistics-related carbon emissions by 15 percent through 2017. Parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev has made similar fleet conversions in China, Europe and Brazil, as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions globally across facilities.

The new, Freightliner-produced, natural gas-fueled tractors will be filled at a recently opened CNG station operated by US Gain, near the St. Louis brewery. Amerit will provide maintenance support at a nearby facility, recently retrofitted to accommodate the new CNG fleet. J.B. Hunt, a leading transportation provider, will continue to manage Anheuser-Busch’s St. Louis dedicated fleet of tractors and drivers. Agility will provide the new CNG fleet with logistical support and Element will oversee tractor leasing.

Environment + Energy Leader