SEAL BEACH, CA — Clean Energy Fuels Corp. signed a 10-year contract with third-party logistics provider Saddle Creek Transportation Inc. to build, operate and maintain a new compressed natural gas (CNG) truck fueling station at Saddle Creek’s headquarters in Lakeland, Fla. 

The combined fast-fill and time-fill fueling facility will support Saddle Creek’s expanding fleet of CNG trucks.

Development of the new Saddle Creek CNG station is already underway, with the opening projected for December 2011. Saddle Creek expects to deploy 40 new Freightliner CNG trucks by year's end to serve its Florida customers. An additional 40 for-hire CNG trucks are scheduled to roll out early in 2012, and the fleet is anticipated to grow to 120 trucks in the future. The first 80 trucks are expected to use approximately 1.5 million gallons of fuel per year.

Saddle Creek is a nationwide third-party supply chain logistics company integrating warehousing, for-hire transportation, contract packaging and fulfillment services.

“Investing in natural gas vehicles for its for-hire fleet as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability makes Saddle Creek a leader in the rapidly growing movement to transition trucking to natural gas to add fuel diversity, curtail harmful emissions and reduce dependence on imported oil,” said James Harger, Clean Energy’s chief marketing officer. “They will have the largest over-the-road CNG fleet in Florida.”