Group-GTS (Belgian logistics company, offerings logistics services and road and multimodal transport) has joined the ever-growing group of logistics companies that are convinced of the ecological and economic possibilities of the gas powered trucks. In this case they chose LNG Volvo Trucks on natural gas. The group from Tessenderlo has just received six FH LNG. They are deployed on national and international shuttle services. Manager Ben Geybels expects to place an order at the end of this year.
The keys to the six 460 hp FH LNG were handed over at the end of April by Stijn Van den Bulck, account manager at Volvo Trucks Center in Olen. “This purchase by Group-GTS is a well-considered choice. Diesel is becoming more expensive, the consumption of FH LNG is considerably lower and more and more shippers are demanding that their carriers reduce their CO2 footprint. But especially the favorable Total Cost of Ownership convinced them, "he says.
Ben Geybels confirms this: “We have done extensive tests and together with our fleet manager we have calculated that there is a real business case. However, there are some conditions attached to this. The trucks must travel 130,000 kilometers per year and they must be deployed in fixed shuttle services because the network of LNG filling stations is still relatively limited. "
Four of the six FH LNG will be used for distribution within Belgium. “They will drive with building materials and for the machine building industry. The other two will mainly commute between Belgium and the Ruhr area, "explains Ben Geybels. He emphasizes that the Maut (road toll) exemption advantage in Germany was included nicely, but that this was not decisive. “We do not want this investment to depend on subsidies. Neither of marketing arguments, by the way. Looking to the future in the short term, we believe that LNG is the best alternative to long-distance diesel. "