Riverwired.com: Keep on Truckin'

khallgeisler — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

If you think you're tired of crazy expensive trips to the gas station, think of how truck drivers feel. The balance on their fuel cards is a physical weight in their wallets by now. These guys have long been proponents for biodiesel, which is where BioTrucker comes in.

BioTrucker.com has recently announced the first-ever biodiesel fuel card. Its features are designed for the eco-minded trucker on the go, including bypassing the credit markup to get the cash price for fuel. The card is accepted at almost 5,000 truck stops across the country already. The swanky cabs with laptops and wifi access can find truck-accessible biodiesel stations at the web site; otherwise, they can call 866-BIODIESEL for locations.

In related big-truck, gas-sucking news, Peterbilt has added two medium-duty hybrid work trucks to its production, bringing the company's hybrid total to four models. Regenerative braking works in tandem with the diesel engines to reap a 30% - 60% fuel improvement, depending on the truck.

The new Model 330 brings the power of hybrid tech to garbage and recycling pickup, meaning the garbage truck might not wake you up as it goes about its morning rounds. The Model 335 runs its bucket on battery power, rather than leaving the diesel engine running while workers change bulbs in traffic lights.

Peterbilt also announced the Model 320, another garbage truck, but this one uses hydraulic fluid to store the braking energy for later, rather than batteries. These models join the company's sleeper-cab, long-haul, highway-ready, hybrid hauler, the Model 386.

Photo by letouj.