PacLease introduces first trucks powered by Cummins X15N natural gas engine
The air got a little bit cleaner after Bousum Trucking, a waste hauling company based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, began running Kenworth T880 day cabs with Cummins’ new X15N CNG engine. Bousum operates eight of these units, with the majority of the trucks leased through Motor Truck PacLease, the local PacLease franchise. These units represent the first CNG trucks featuring the X15N engine that PacLease has put into a lease program.
The eight new near-zero emission trucks emit CO2 and NOx at levels that are 90% below current EPA standards. They are being used in Centre County to move waste from the county’s transfer station to a landfill in Laurel Highlands, about 80 miles away. The landfill itself converts waste into renewable natural gas, which is then sold as fuel. A solar-powered RNG refueling station near the landfill refuels the Kenworth trucks daily, allowing these CNG trucks to accumulate nearly 130,000 miles per year.
See also: Cummins launches next-gen diesel engine for work trucks
Liam Tanelli, CFO for Bousum Trucking, said the introduction of the 15-liter Cummins CNG engine is a “game-changer” in allowing the company to move forward with an alternative fuel.
“It meant we could now confidently handle heavy loads on the haul from the transfer station to the landfill,” Tanelli said. “The trucks are rated at 450 horsepower with 1,650 lb.-ft. of torque and utilize 12-speed automated transmissions—that’s the right spec for our operation. Each truck makes three round trips per day; drive time is 1-1/2 hours each way, and the trucks can face steep grade changes ranging from 8-12%. So, we needed the horsepower and torque of the industry’s first 15-liter CNG engine.”
Preliminary test runs, based on driver reports and feedback, praise the performance of these CNG-powered trucks and how they drive versus their diesel equivalent. “But obviously, the big difference is there are virtually no emissions from our CNG engines, and that’s a great benefit for everyone,” Tanelli said. “We will watch the performance and life-cycle costs closely as we use these trucks as our test bed as we look toward the future.”
