Florida Road Ranger Service Patrol- A Propane Driven Fleet

Why Propane?

In 2015 FDOT’s subcontract partner, Jorgensen, made the decision to partner with Alliance AutoGas for our FDOT Road Ranger fleets in Fort Lauderdale and the Treasure Coast to reduce greenhouse gases as an initiative to go green on our Florida interstate projects. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, absorb heat from the sun and trap warmth in the atmosphere resulting in a “greenhouse effect.” With a “Going Green” mentality, the FDOT and Jorgensen have been able to reduce harmful emissions in our environment by converting our Road Ranger Vehicles to use Propane. Propane-converted vehicles emit 25 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than vehicles running on gasoline and 80 percent fewer smog-producing hydrocarbon emissions than vehicles running on diesel. In 2018, the Department and Jorgensen used 3,838 less barrels of oil reducing CO2 emissions by 542 short tons. That is equivalent to 55,327 gallons of gasoline or 48,300 gallons of diesel. A reduction in carbon dioxide emissions encourages environmental responsibility within the Department of Transportation and its subcontract partner. In addition to environmental benefit, maintenance and fuel costs are reduced.

Making the Conversion

Jorgensen works with Eby Body and Alliance AutoGas to build its custom Road Ranger fleet. This truck profile includes propane retrofits, large fuel tanks, and various safety devices. Converting a Road Ranger vehicle to Propane takes a day for our in-house mechanic. These outfitted vehicles are certified compliant in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EAP) regulations.

Additional Benefits and Savings

FDOT’s Road Ranger fleet operated by Jorgensen also has private propane AutoGas stations in Fort Lauderdale and Fort Pierce where the lowest fuel price is assured with each transaction. In 2018, the Department and Jorgensen saved an average of $0.79 per gallon with propane provided by Alliance AutoGas when compared to gasoline. With on-site propane storage provided by Alliance AutoGas, the Department and Jorgensen are able to guarantee mission critical fuel availability when preparing and responding to emergencies such as hurricanes or tropical storms. The Mission of the Florida Department of Transportation is to provide a safe transportation system that ensures the mobility of people and goods, enhances economic prosperity, and preserves the quality of our environment and communities. Along with its Road Ranger partner, Jorgensen, we are able to preserve the environment through the use of alternative fuels to protect, preserve and improve our quality of life by delivering world class services and solutions for our Florida travelers to meet the infrastructure demands of today and for future generations.

Who We Are

For nearly 60 years, Jorgensen has provided maintenance consultant services, facility management, and roadway maintenance services throughout the United States while providing road ranger services to the Florida Department of Transportation for the past 10 years in District 4. We currently provide TMC Dispatchers, Road Ranger Operators, and Severe Incident Response Vehicle (SIRV) services to I-595 Express and Road Ranger Operator services to FDOT District 4 in Broward County and Florida’s Treasure Coast, along with the addition of Road Service Patrols for debris removal and incident management responsibilities throughout our Florida asset maintenance contracts.