New Compressed Gas Trash Trucks on the Streets of Santee

Waste Management Press Release

This month, Santee residents can expect to see brand new waste and recycling trucks traverse their neighborhoods as Waste Management of San Diego moves to replace its first generation fleet of Liquefied Natural Gas fueled collection vehicles serving in Santee with new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered trucks. 

Two of the 12 trucks expected to replace the fleet have already been deployed. The 10 additional vehicles will be rolling out this month as part of Waste Management’s commitment to the City of Santee. The company has its sights set on ringing in the New Year with its fleet fully transitioned. 

“Santee is forward-thinking when it comes to sustainability and we are continuing our investment in the community by replacing our older natural gas vehicles with the latest CNG-powered model,” said Bill Bixler, district manager of Waste Management of San Diego.

CNG-powered trucks contribute to a smaller carbon footprint, including the reduction of particulate matter emissions to up to 86 percent, carbon monoxide emissions by 80 percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 32 percent, and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent. In addition, trucks run quieter than traditional diesel engines.

Waste Management is also working to make its routes and fleets more efficient, resulting in fewer miles driven and fewer emissions. The company has also implemented route optimization software that will reduce driving time by several million hours each year company-wide. Additionally, all truck engines are programmed to shut down automatically after idling for five minutes to save fuel and further reduce emissions.

“CNG trucks are an important part of our long-term company-wide sustainability strategy to reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency, allowing us to provide our customers with outstanding customer service with minimal impact to the environment,” added Bixler. 

“Our drivers are excited to operate the new trucks which have all of the enhanced technology that will help us to deliver better customer service to Santee residents.”

Waste Management has been a pioneer and national leader in the use of natural gas for heavy duty trucks since the 1990s. Currently, the company operates more than 2,200 alternatively fueled vehicles with the largest fleet of natural gas collection trucks in North America. In San Diego, Waste Management’s operates 136 natural gas powered trucks which is the equivalent of removing more than 9,200 cars from San Diego’s roadways.