Adapt or Die: How to Evolve Your Fleet to Maintain Health & Safety - Fleet Management

Adapt or Die: Evolve Your Fleet to Preserve Well being & Security – Fleet Administration



ThompsonGas offers propane providers to residential and industrial clients nationwide.  

Photograph: ThompsonGas


Expertise is consistently evolving, and the financial system is at all times fluctuating. Irrespective of the enterprise, it would die if it doesn’t adapt. This sentiment particularly rings true for the fleet trade.

We’re witnessing a excessive value in gasoline costs and a scarcity in components and truck availability. However that doesn’t imply we must always throw within the towel. In distinction, firms are creating and implementing progressive options to those issues. And ThompsonGas is one such firm.

ThompsonGas’ Fleet Director Wayne Terpstra and Autogas Director Monte McLeod shared how they adjusted to the continued obstacles and preserve their fleet’s total well being.

ThompsonGas: 75 Years of Fleet

Based in Maryland, ThompsonGas makes a speciality of propane providers for industrial and residential clients. It began in 1947 serving propane to a small farming neighborhood. Whereas holding its honest costs and constant values, it has grown to a nationwide firm in 26 states.

It lately celebrated its 75th anniversary. And all through these many years, its fleet has soared to over 1,400 items. These automobiles embrace propane bobtails, crane items, and pickup/service vehicles.

ThomsponGas’ newest achievement is its Thompson AutoGas division in partnership with Roush CleanTech. Its F-750 vehicles outfitted with Roush CleanTech propane methods present autogas to industrial fleets. It began in 2020 and now has unfold all through the U.S.

And lately, ThompsonGas has gone by means of two huge developments that assist it adapt to this ever-changing trade.

Success Recipe: Telematics & Autogas

Like most fleet firms, ThompsonGas faces nationwide challenges. Terpstra acknowledged the fleet’s high three challenges are the rising value of gasoline, provide chain delays, and automobile upkeep.

To fight these challenges, ThompsonGas designed a recipe for achievement. And it solely has two elements: telematics and autogas.

Terpstra stated his priorities in the case of the fleet are well being and security. And telematics is a superb system to watch the well being and security of a fleet.

ThompsonGas’ fleet accomplished the set up of a whole administration system, together with telematics in August 2022. The improve has already confirmed its price in time and value in only a brief period of time. The system displays the well being of the general fleet, together with mileage, put on and tear, half alternative, and idle time. And with that comes fewer errors and extra security reassurance for the fleet and workers.

And its final ingredient for adaptability is autogas. Since Thompson AutoGas formally launched in 2020, Terpstra and McCloud have needed to stroll the stroll. So, they made the push to have a completely autogas-fueled fleet.


Wayne Terpstra, fleet director, noted that leaving behind traditional gasoline was the best decision for ThompsonGas.  -  Photo: ThompsonGas

Wayne Terpstra, fleet director, famous that abandoning conventional gasoline was the perfect determination for ThompsonGas.

Photograph: ThompsonGas


A Key Part to a Inexperienced Future

As we push towards a inexperienced future, industries must adapt. Fortunately, the fleet trade has a number of choices. The preferred is, in fact, automobile electrification. However there may be additionally a less expensive various: propane.

Propane has been round for many years. It’s dependable, clear, and versatile. When used to gasoline fleets, it’s often known as autogas.

In response to ThompsonGas, “Autogas is a tremendous, environment friendly choice to gasoline your fleet, and has been confirmed time and time once more to be much more dependable than conventional gasoline-powered engines, with the bottom cost-of-ownership of any gasoline.”

The corporate added that, with far fewer emissions launched into the ambiance upon use, “equipping an autogas fleet can also be a good way to scale back your online business’s carbon footprint and do your half to guard our altering world.”

Huge or Small, Autogas Does It All

ThompsonGas needs to be the poster youngster for a full autogas fleet. Terpstra acknowledged: “We all know switching to an autogas fleet is a giant endeavor. It took us a number of years to finish. However it’s a manageable course of. You are able to do a few vehicles at a time, and ultimately, the reward far outweighs the value.”

He stated he even makes use of autogas to gasoline their Class 5, 6, and seven propane bobtails, which work with out a hitch.

Terpstra does say it’s a undertaking that may at all times be ongoing, and his recommendation is to have endurance and plan for longer lead instances in buying plans. However abandoning conventional gasoline is without doubt one of the finest selections ThompsonGas has made for its fleet and recommends it to all fleets.

The advantages far outweigh the associated fee and time. Propane autogas:

  1. Doesn’t require a whole overhaul of the fleet.
  2. Can be utilized to gasoline all kinds of automobiles, from pickup to heavy-duty vehicles.
  3. Makes for quieter automobiles. That is perfect for fleets equivalent to college buses or motor coaches.
  4. Has the potential to decrease upkeep prices.





McLeod additionally added, “Security, decrease value per mile and environmental duty are just some of the explanations that ThompsonGas and plenty of others across the nation are turning to autogas.”

The way it all Started

Terpstra started his fleet experiences when he joined a bodybuilder for the propane trade, Tri-State Tank, out of Kansas Metropolis. Later, he joined Customized Truck One Supply to develop trade line gear.

Tri-State and Customized Truck construct propane bobtails and promote different propane-related gear within the propane trade.

“I even have robust retail propane expertise with a number of nationwide propane firms in numerous roles. This expertise developed my understanding of what the sector operations guys want, with propane-related gear, to get the job achieved safely and effectively. That each one has led to my pure development to the fleet administration position,” Terpstra stated.

On high of that, when requested about his favourite a part of the job, he added, “I adore it when discipline guys name me after getting a brand new truck and inform me they love the truck. They relate the way it advantages the department and native drivers and repair technicians. That’s what makes my day!”

Wish to know what’s occurring with different work truck fleets? Motion Environmental, with the assistance of IntelliShift, has been in a position to successfully cope with provide chain, downtime, and utilization challenges. Journey Medics spares no expense in composing a secure fleet, investing in procuring automobiles that can be prepared to avoid wasting lives at any second. And, learn the way Junk King retained its “royal standing” as an environmentally aware refuse hauler throughout powerful instances. 



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