Incentive grants under a portion of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) have resulted in replacement of 2,626 older forklifts.

Some of the Railroad Commission of Texas's larger 2010 forklift-related incentives include USD383,700 to Pavestone Company LP in Dallas, USD255,800 to McCoy Corporation in San Marcos, USD194,000 to B&G Foods Inc in Houston, USD185,000 to Action Box Company in Houston and USD87,000 to JP Hart Lumber Company in San Antonio. Those five awards account for 83 forklifts.

Texas created TERP in 2001 to help reduce emissions of smog-producing pollutants in 34 counties in which air quality fell short of federal standards. Texas has 254 counties.

An owner must commit to destroying the old forklift or other equipment prior to receiving a propane initiative grant. The selling dealer drills a hole in the engine block, cuts the frame in a manner to make sure the chassis is never used again and produces a scrap receipt the owner gives to TERP auditors.

Dan Mowrey, administrator of the propane vehicle initiative for the Railroad Commission of Texas in Austin, reports: "Since November 2009, the (commission's) total grant awards amounted to USD4.3 million, which represents a reduction in nitrous oxide emissions over the next five years in the state of Texas totaling 436 (short) tons or an average of 87 tons per year. Over the life of this one program, emissions have been reduced by more than 4,300 tons to date" (Forkliftaction.com News #400).

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) supplies the legislature-authorised funding through subcontractors including the Railroad Commission of Texas, the North Central Council of Governments for the Dallas-Fort Worth region and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Similar TCEQ programs exist for other equipment such as trucks and other industrial units using clean diesel or other environmentally friendly fuels.

For the Pavestone award in November, "the dollar amount was for 26 forklifts for all of the (TERP-compliant) applications we have received to date" for Pavestone from Fort Worth-based dealership Shoppa's Material Handling Ltd, Mowrey says. "We have given estimates on a total of 35, but we have not seen the applications for the remaining nine" as of 18 November.

At locations in numerous states, Pavestone is replacing 232 diesel-powered forklifts with propane units, says Bob Insley, national fleet maintenance manager. "We received the first ones in August 2010 in Grapevine (near Dallas) and we aim to have the program completed in October 2011."

Insley says propane is less expensive in operations and reduces Pavestone's carbon footprint. As for the investment, "we are probably looking at USD6 million to USD7 million for the replacement" program. Pavestone is buying Toyota forklifts as replacements for Linde and Caterpillar equipment.

Pavestone has 20 regional locations for state-of-the-art manufacturing of segmental concrete products such as patio and pave stones, retaining walls and edgers. Distribution occurs through retailers including Home Depot Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

For the McCoy's award in November, "the dollar amount was for 25 forklifts for all of the applications we have received to date" from San Antonio-based dealership Toyota Lift of South Texas, Mowrey says. "There may be more in the works, but we have not seen these yet."

Tony Gardner, fleet manager for McCoy's says, "We will have 20 stores in TERP-compliant locations getting 35 forklifts with 6,000-lb (2,700-kg) lifting capacities."

Gardner praises TERP as "a very good program" that "was just in time for us. Timing was perfect."

McCoy's is a fourth-generation, family-owned supplier of materials and equipment with 84 stores in Texas, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma. McCoy's Building Supplies employs about 2,000 persons and operates more than 400 forklifts.

The JP Hart incentive was issued in October for 11 forklifts. "They have now done a total of 14, with three previous to 2010," Mowrey explains.

The Irving, Texas location of Equipment Depot supplied Mitsubishi forklifts with lifting capacities of 9,000 lbs (4,050 kg), 8,000 lbs (3,600 kg) and 6,000 lbs (2,200 kg)in replacing propane-powered Caterpillars, says John Sulaica, JP Hart operations manager.

JP Hart started in 1939 as a wholesale lumber broker and has evolved into a supplier for residential and commercial contractors from seven locations in Texas and one in Louisiana. Four TERP-compliant locations received the new Mitsubishi forklifts, Sulaica notes.

For all locations, JP Hart operates 88 standard forklifts and 18 truck-mounted piggyback delivery units.

Sulaica is pleased with TERP. "I read about the program three years ago," he says. "We had three older units in the Dallas area and decided to give it a shot."

Sulaica is adamant about keeping equipment in top operating condition. "We do preventive maintenance work every month."

TERP issued the award to Action Box in April for nine Nissan forklifts with 5,000-lb (2,250-kg) capacities from Houston dealership Adobe Equipment Houston LLC doing business as Action Handling Systems.

The B&G Foods incentive was issued in January for 12 Nissan forklifts also with 5,000-lb capacities and also from Action Handling Systems.