Beer distributor chooses CNG for fleet

   Tampa, Fla.-based beer distributor J.J. Taylor Cos. is replacing its fleet with compressed natural gas vehicle, ordering 43 CNG tractors.
   The company will turn its entire Tampa fleet of 95 trucks to CNG vehicles in the next 36 months.
   The company is also building a CNG fueling station in Tampa, and the trucks will begin operation once the facility is completed. Its Fort Myer’s based fleet of 75 trucks will also undergo conversion, and a second CNG station will also be built.
   This change is part of J.J. Taylor’s pledge to reduce its carbon footprint, a goal that has been gaining steam for the past five years, officials said. Once the initial cost of replacing the vehicles is absorbed, the CNG fleet will operate at a lower cost point, while reducing the company’s environmental presence using a fleet of quieter, more efficient trucks.
   PHH FirstFleet provided financing for the venture.
   “This is one of the first full facility conversions of an entire compressed natural gas fleet in the Southeast,” PHH FirstFleet’s Rob Stowes said in a statement. “We’re excited to team up with J.J. Taylor Cos. to help them make their fleet more efficient.
   “Often companies feel sustainability initiatives are too expensive to pursue, but our partnership demonstrates there are alternative ways to make it happen. We anticipate that this will be one of many such conversions as we move forward,” he added. – Jon Ross