In 2005, Enfield, N.H.-based Evans Exit 16 Truckstop started selling biodiesel - it now accounts for 25-30 percent of their fuel sales. Dan and Doug Evans own and run the truckstop, which was built by their father in 1975, as well as a fuel distribution business and several convenience stores that also sell biodiesel. When Dan Evans heard about biodiesel through a friend, he liked the idea of a new renewable fuel for distribution and retail. “The Evans Exit 16 Truckstop has operated on the same site for over 30 years. We continuously look for new products that will benefit our customers and keep the truckstop moving forward. After learning about biodiesel, we became the first truckstop in New Hampshire to carry it. The benefits of implementing biodiesel have gone beyond our expectations,” said Evans.

Owner operators keep coming back for biodiesel. “Demand is high among owner operators. Customers we thought might be skeptical of trying a new product in their trucks are often the ones who love biodiesel and tell all their buddies about it. They like the added lubricity, which reduces maintenance, and many say they get better fuel mileage,” said Evans.

Evans Exit 16 Truckstop also attracts fleets. Local and regional fleets have made the decision to use biodiesel for benefits including cleaner idling. Several local school districts have switched to burning biodiesel in buses, which improves the air quality for kids both in and outside the busses. Any amount of biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel reduces exhaust particulate matter, which has been linked to asthma. Bus drivers regularly fuel at Evans Truckstop, often going out of their way for biodiesel. Evans also distributes biodiesel to Ambulance service companies. Ambulance drivers appreciate the cleaner exhaust that biodiesel provides when idling in front of hospitals. Local and regional corporate fleets also head to Evans Truckstop for biodiesel including Sysco Foods and Sure Winner Foods.

Evans Truckstop is positioned on a major route for regional and Canadian shipping. The above ground tanks serve a biodiesel island with two high-speed dispensers pumping B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel) in the summer and B10 in the winter. “We have faith in B20 here in New Hampshire both in our above ground tanks and in our customer's fuel tanks, but we didn't want to take a chance with our Canadian customers going back and encountering well below zero temperatures,” said Dan Evans. Typically, B20 has a 5-10 degree higher cold flow temperature than petroleum diesel. Just like with petroleum diesel, customers should consider a cold-weather additive. Ensuring that biodiesel meets ASTM Specifications is the best way to help customers set expectations of how biodiesel will perform in all conditions. “Biodiesel that meets ASTM specifications is an absolute necessity. We only use in-spec biodiesel. We and our customers have had no issues whatsoever in the three plus years we have been selling biodiesel,” said Evans.

The National Biodiesel Board's (NBB) BioTrucker.com website maps 347 full-service truckstops that sell biodiesel including Evans, which is open 24/7 and offers amenities such as showers, a convenience store, a Subway Sandwich Shop, and Wi-Fi access. Truckstops selling biodiesel range from independently owned to national chains and franchises including Love's Travel Stops, Travel Centers of America, and Sapp Bros. Recently, the NBB introduced the BioTrucker Fuel Card to help drive business to truckstops that carry biodiesel and help truckers find biodiesel by promoting the maps on BioTrucker.com. The card helps truckers save money on fuel by offering cash price on all fuel, not only biodiesel. Some truckstops have gone above and beyond to offer a $.02 discount on biodiesel purchases including Sapp Bros. Travel Center in Peru Ill. “Being one of the first truck stops to offer a discount for BioTrucker Fuel Card holders is very exciting to us,” said Kevin Cassidy, Marketing Manager, Sapp Bros. Travel Centers. “We are huge supporters of biodiesel and this program will generate interest and awareness.”

The Evans brothers are also supporters of the BioTrucker Fuel Card. “When we heard about the card, we were excited to start accepting it at our location,” said Dan Evans. “We've already seen `BioTruckers' coming to our stop and using the card.”

When asked what the biodiesel industry could do get out the word about biodiesel, Dan Evans said, “just start calling all the truckstops. There's definite demand from owner operators and fleets. I'm not complaining about being one of the few truckstops in New Hampshire that carries biodiesel, but for the sake of the environment, the health of our nation, and energy security, we need more American grown and produced biodiesel on the roads.”

you know a truckstop that would like to get started with selling biodiesel or would like to accept the BioTrucker Fuel Card, please call the National Biodiesel Board at 972-352-8698. Also, check out the website for information on biodiesel characteristics, distribution, and tax incentives for blending and selling biodiesel atwww.biodiesel.org. A map of truckstops that sell biodiesel can be found on www.biotrucker.com.