May 27, 2008 - Cable provider Cox Communications is set to save thousands of dollars in fuel costs by filling its delivery-truck tires with nitrogen gas, which maintains tire pressure more consistently than air, Arizona Republic reports.

Cox has installed a nitrogen-filling system for its 1,400 fleet in Arizona. Nitrogen leaks more slowly and expands less during hot weather, reducing tire wear and boosting fuel efficiency by about a mile per gallon, Cox says.

"The benefit is that some of it is green, but a lot of it is just improved business operations," says Farid Melki, Cox's director of fixed-asset management.

With summer approaching and gas prices at record highs, Cox anticipates a huge return on its initial $2,000 investment. Penske, which services the Cox fleet, has kicked in an additional $5,000 for the project on the expectation that it will have to replace fewer worn tires.