Penske Truck Leasing expands renewable diesel use in California with Shell

In Pennsylvania, Penske Truck Leasing announced it has expanded its use of renewable diesel in California through a preferred supplier agreement with Shell Oil Products U.S. The move is a continuing effort by Penske to help reduce emissions across its truck rental, heavy-duty truck leasing and logistics fleet operations.

All vehicles refueling at Penske Truck Leasing’s 32 locations equipped with fuel islands in California are now receiving renewable diesel at its pumps. Penske plans to expand its use of renewable diesel in other markets as supply increases, and as carbon compensation programs for replacing traditional diesel fuel with renewable diesel become more widely available.

According to the California Energy Commission and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration statistics, approximately 3 billion gallons of diesel fuel is sold annually in the state, with only about a third being sold as renewable diesel.

Penske first piloted renewable diesel in Southern California for several months to ensure there were no adverse effects on vehicles or their operation. To the contrary, Penske found an overall net positive effect on the vehicles related to renewable diesel. Of note were reduced maintenance-related issues along with the added benefits of lower overall emissions and a cleaner fuel compared with traditional ultra-low sulfur diesel. The renewable diesel provided by Shell is fully compatible with all diesel engines and has a higher cetane level.