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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
 Posted - 02/19/2018 : 12:33:34 PM
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| Did anyone catch the article in STN about Alternative Fuel vs. Diesel. It was written by a retired VP of Laidlaw named Robert T. Pudlewski. I don't know this guy but I respect someone who has 40 years of experience and someone who has obtained the position he did. However, I see a couple flaws in his information in the article. Let me know what you think. |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2018 : 07:52:15 AM
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Nationwide average of $2.84 per gallon for propane? Thankfully its no where near that here in the rural mid west where its commonly used for heating and grain drying.
And aren't engine oil cost savings usually toted to be from the quantity used during a change (approx. 8 quarts for propane/gasoline versus 16-32 quarts for diesel) rather than extending drain intervals?
I wonder what the nationwide average is for out of warranty diesel SCR/DEF/DOC/PT/EGR system maintenance costs? Currently 2 out of our 3 DEF consuming buses are in 5 mph tops derate while they wait for repairs to their after-treatment systems.
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Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
Edited by - Fastback on 02/20/2018 08:05:58 AM |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2018 : 09:02:07 AM
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| Yeah, we're paying 1.21 right now, before tax. The tax on propane is less than diesel in Illinois. In our district we save money before the tax break of .50 per gallon that they just put back on for all of 2017. So, when that check comes in it's a windfall and everyone is happy, happy, happy! |
Bryan |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2018 : 10:25:07 AM
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| The transport load we got last August was .87 per gallon, going to be needing another load soon. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
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Sherm
Top Member
USA
621 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2018 : 12:38:38 PM
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| That article selectively leaves out the out-of-warranty costs to repair the complicated emissions systems and the operational headache of having buses constantly in and out of the shop for sporadic and elusive engine problems. In my opinion, as far as school buses are concerned, diesel is dead. Anyone trying to tell you anything else is trying to sell a diesel engine. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2018 : 1:09:13 PM
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| I couldn't agree more. I believe if every district would have a good deep look at their costs with diesel, they would no longer buy them. That being said, if you are trading every 3 to 5 years you don't have near the headaches. We have several districts in our area doing that. |
Bryan |
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kummins
Active Member
41 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2018 : 06:30:18 AM
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i'm waiting to see the new cummins electric trucks myself...
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/08/ahead-of-tesla-semis-cummins-shows-off-all-electric-powertrain-concept/
the prototype gets just 100 miles per charge, & that's more than enough for most urban daily driving, especially school routes in urban areas.
the one drawback is needing a 140kwh charging station and 1 hour per truck.
the electric bill must be huge! the funny thing about all these 'green' vehicles, is that they need an electricity source which is mostly from fossil fuels & coal... lol |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2018 : 06:34:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by kummins
i'm waiting to see the new cummins electric trucks myself...
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/08/ahead-of-tesla-semis-cummins-shows-off-all-electric-powertrain-concept/
the prototype gets just 100 miles per charge, & that's more than enough for most urban daily driving, especially school routes in urban areas.
the one drawback is needing a 140kwh charging station and 1 hour per truck.
the electric bill must be huge! the funny thing about all these 'green' vehicles, is that they need an electricity source which is mostly from fossil fuels & coal... lol
I think the thought process is that at a later date all the coal plants can be discontinued for a cleaner energy. I'm not sure if that is a sound thought but it's a thought none the less. |
Bryan |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2018 : 12:20:42 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fastback
The transport load we got last August was .87 per gallon, going to be needing another load soon.
Transport load delivered to us last week, cost .72 per gallon. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2018 : 12:23:18 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fastback
quote:
Originally posted by Fastback
The transport load we got last August was .87 per gallon, going to be needing another load soon.
Transport load delivered to us last week, cost .72 per gallon.
Well, with the 50 cents back from the feds you are going to be at about 4.5 cents a mile! That's unreal! Of course you have tax on top of that and the cost of your equipment. But......... |
Bryan |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4545 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 04:08:54 AM
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| Please excuse my ignorance on the matter, but can you define a transport load? As in how many gallons do you purchase at a time? |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 04:58:41 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24
Please excuse my ignorance on the matter, but can you define a transport load? As in how many gallons do you purchase at a time?
Roughly 9,000 gallons, depending on temperature, less during the warmer months. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 05:19:29 AM
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| If you don't mind me asking, how do you pay the tax on that? Does the company you buy it from take care of it or do you file that on your own? |
Bryan |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 05:39:50 AM
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| I am not aware of any tax on it, all handled in the office, I just tell Superintendent when tank is low enough to hold another transport load. Our office does file for any alternate fuel rebates as only we can track how much and when it actually was put in bus fuel tanks. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
Edited by - Fastback on 03/13/2018 05:53:35 AM |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4545 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 06:19:21 AM
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| Thanks for the info! |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 08:15:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fastback
I am not aware of any tax on it, all handled in the office, I just tell Superintendent when tank is low enough to hold another transport load. Our office does file for any alternate fuel rebates as only we can track how much and when it actually was put in bus fuel tanks.
I see. Our supplier takes care of filing for the tax rebate. We have a dedicated tank for fueling buses. |
Bryan |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 09:53:24 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by bwest
quote:
Originally posted by Fastback
I am not aware of any tax on it, all handled in the office, I just tell Superintendent when tank is low enough to hold another transport load. Our office does file for any alternate fuel rebates as only we can track how much and when it actually was put in bus fuel tanks.
I see. Our supplier takes care of filing for the tax rebate. We have a dedicated tank for fueling buses.
Probably a quantity/frequency of delivery element as well. As I understand it, we couldn't get a 9,000 gallon truckload on Dec 1st 2017 and get the rebate on the whole load for 2017, only the amount we pumped into buses by Dec 31 2017. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2018 : 10:39:11 AM
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| Ah, good point! lol, we get 400 to 800 gallons at a time. We only use about 17k a year. |
Bryan |
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Alternative Fuel vs. Diesel Trade Mag Article
