It was just over a week ago that I faced a challenge in my CNG fueling routine. My primary fueling station was down and after a quick phone call, it seemed as though the outage would last a few days. This was not news I wanted to hear, as I use this station every other day because they have one of the most convenient locations based on my route and their price is very good for the area. The next closest location was at least $0.45 a gallon more expensive, which is not really a good price for realizing the advantages of using natural gas at this time.
Technology to the rescue again! Given that the CNG fueling networks out here in California are becoming not only more abundant, but more organized as well, I figured it was time to head on over to the Apple App Store. Given that I was formerly using a web-based Internet site to locate stations before, I was hoping someone might have come out with an app for that same purpose. I was fortunate to locate an app called "CNG Fuel Finder" by CNG Now LLC. With its user-friendly "near me" search option and detailed maps, it makes for a great tool when locating CNG stations anywhere they exist!
Finding this new app is not even the best part of that fateful day the pumps were down. Thanks to that app, I was able to locate a new station nearby that was even lower in price, so I decided to check it out. Thanks to the mapping function, Ontario CNG was easy to find, just North of the Ontario International Airport. What I found upon arrival was a station big enough to get a truck into that was equipped with three 3600-psi pumps and one 3000-psi pump. This was one of the nicest setups I had encountered in the entire time I have been fueling CNG. When the owner saw my truck pull in, he came out to introduce 
himself and his associates, gave me a tour of the facility, and informed me of his plans to expand into the CNG fueling market even further. This station is very clean, well lit, has a 24hr C-store and restrooms available, and will be adding another food/sandwich shop soon. They are also planning to install two more 3600-psi pumps with the larger fast-fill nozzles that us trucks prefer. The fill pressure was excellent and will only get better once they add the fast-fill option and beefier compressor.
Thanks to the breakdown at my primary fueling station, I was fortunate enough to find another great location to fuel. I see myself visiting Ontario CNG much more in the near future as soon as the fast-fill pumps are installed, as this cuts fueling time down to around 10-15 minutes for my usual fill-up. Being that they are able to offer all the amenities not found at your usual CNG station and for a per gallon price far below any of their competitors ($0.18 cheaper than my other primary station), I see great things happening for the Ontario CNG station. It just goes to show that the quest for better pricing on CNG fuel, or any other kind of fuel for that matter, should never be abandoned or overlooked. Whether it is a cheaper priced station, or even a fuel rewards program like the Team Run Smart Fuel Discount Program (see Fuel Smart header tab for info on signing up and its benefits), every penny is important to chase if it is retained in your own earnings and not spent on operating expenses!