TCCFS comes to the aid of stranded CNG bus bound for Southern California.

Truck Center Companies Fuel Solutions received a call from the Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD) regarding a stranded 60-foot passenger bus powered by CNG. The bus, in route to Orange County, CA, left New Flyer’s manufacturing facility in Saint Cloud, MN with approximately 1,000 miles of fuel on board. Approximately 300 miles later, the bus was out of fuel and stuck in Sioux City, IA with nowhere to fuel and no options for a qualified CNG-ready repair shop.

Truck Center Companies Fuel Solutions, located at 108^th and L Streets in Omaha, provides a refueling system for instances such as this but did not have the fuel capacity required to fill the 200 gallon bus.  Fortunately, a second bus was traveling alongside the stranded bus and was able to make it to Omaha.  Even more fortuitously, the buses are equipped with a de-fueling system, albeit with an incompatible refueling connector.  The defueling receptacle was easily replaced by TCCFS technicians with a refueling-compatible receptacle, and the second bus departed for Sioux City full of fuel and a proper refueling system. 

The two buses returned the following morning to refuel at MUD’s I-80 Fuels station, and then back to TCCFS to diagnose and repair the problem.  After properly checking for fuel leaks and some further diagnosis, the problem was determined to be a wiring harness connection and was quickly repaired.  After same day repairs the bus departed for its final destination, ultimately operating one of 77 bus routes for Orange County Transportation Authority, providing reliable transportation for the many residents of Southern California.