Records broken and miles clocked for propane-powered truck

KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON: The Alliance AutoGas F-150 traveled 5,600 miles on propane autogas. photo courtesy of Alliance AutoGas

Over the last three weeks, a gray F-150 has been traversing the country. It clocked 5,600 miles and visited 12 cities. On Monday, May 23, it ended its journey at the AutoGas Research & Technology Center on Sweeten Creek Road. Alliance AutoGas technicians, Stephen Holland and Stacey Snyder drove the vehicle.

Weeks earlier, the two technicians had set a record at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. The same truck they’d just crisscrossed the country in had been timed as the Fastest Recorded Alternative Fuel Conversion to Propane Autogas. The two performed the conversion in a little over one and a half hours — 1:32:25 to be exact.

The drive itself was dubbed the “Alliance Autogas Coast-to-Coast Clean Air Ride.” Throughout the three-week tour, Holland and Snyder spread the word about cleaner air through lowered emissions. In a press release celebrating the event, Ed Hoffman, president of Blossman Services, Inc. stated, “We wanted people to see first-hand, how simple and easy it is to convert a vehicle, how well it runs, and a how it gives the fleet manager a well-documented return.” The truck held program stops in Kansas City, Mo., Fort Collins, Colo., Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Wash., Phoenix, Ariz., Albuquerque, N.M., Oklahoma City, Okla., Little Rock, Ark., Pearl, Miss., Decatur, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla.

The return event was hosted by the Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition, Alliance AutoGas and Blossman Gas. Worthington Industries sponsored the ride, and the American Lung Association of the Southeast acted as the ride’s charity partner. Both organizations were present for the F-150’s homecoming.

In the same press release, Chris Hanners, alternative fuels production manager at Worthington Industries said, “Worthington Industries was proud to support the Alliance AutoGas Coast-to-Coast Clean Air Ride as we remain invested in manufacturing products that will help reduce emissions and put more environmentally friendly fleet vehicles on the roads.”

Martha Bogdan, chief executive officer for the American Lung Association of the Southeast added: “Motor vehicles are a significant source of air pollution, which is why cleaner fuels need to be a part of the solution. Alliance AutoGas supports our clean air work, and we were happy to be a part of the Coast-to-Coast Clean Air Ride.”

For addition information visit: allianceautogas.com

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About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.

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