![]() ![]() This can save 40–70%, due to the lower cost of electricity vs. By using standby power when the trailer is parked, product temps are maintained without burning diesel fuel at all.Ĭarrier Transicold’s Vector units have always included an electric standby feature, which provides 100% of the rated refrigeration capacity when the Vector unit is plugged into AC power. ![]() Perhaps the most significant fuel saver for refrigerated hauling is electric standby operation. In addition, reports can give you a summary of all idle time alerts that were triggered over a given time period. If you use a GPS fleet management/telematics system, idle time alerts can automatically notify managers when any vehicle in your fleet idles over a designated period of time, notes NetworkFleet. Technology makes it easy to find out which drivers are idling too much. This way, idling will be minimized and you will always remember where your keys are, says LinkeDrive’s Jeff Baer. Get in the habit of pulling the keys and putting them in your pocket every time you set the parking brake. ![]() When combined with a Go Power inverter, a system can produce up to 3,000 watts of AC power per hour. Still very new on the scene are ways to use solar panels to power auxiliary power units and liftgates instead of idling the engine.Īt this year’s Mid-America Trucking Show, Solar Flex panels (thin, flexible, ultra-high-efficiency panels originally developed for the RV industry) were displayed at the Crosspoint Solutions ClimaCab booth to show how solar power can keep dedicated batteries in their cab-comfort systems fully charged and ready to start equipment.Ī 53-foot trailer has the roof area to hold approximately fifty 100-watt Solar Flex panels and to generate about 5,000 watts, or about 280 amps, of DC power per hour. There are also a few cooling solutions, such as Dometic’s auxiliary air-conditioning system that runs on 12-volt power from an onboard bank of batteries, and Webasto’s BlueCool Truck, which charges itself while the vehicle is in motion or can be plugged in to charge. There are some heating and cooling options short of investing in a full-blown APU.Ī direct-fire heater warms the engine block and provides heat to the cabin when the engine’s turned off, reducing the fuel used for idling by 75%, according to a report by Carbon War Room cited by Omnitracs. Plug-in mattress pad heaters work well and will not drain good batteries. In cooler weather, try thick blankets or sleeping bags for warmth. (If you’ve got the windows open, try to park away from other trucks and upwind from everyone so you don’t breathe their exhaust fumes.) In moderately hot weather, try things like fans and screens for the windows for cooling. Department of Transportation estimates that medium-duty trucks burn about 2.5 billion gallons of fuel while idling each year, or 6.7% of the total fuel they consume.įor heavy-duty trucks, “A general rule of thumb is every extra 10% idle time equates to another percentage point in fuel economy,” says Aaron Peterson, chief engineer of vehicle performance at Navistar. This action has minimal impact on the starter system. Drivers should consider turning off their engines if they have stopped for more than a minute, except while in traffic. Letting the engine run for more than 10 seconds without moving uses more fuel than it takes to restart the vehicle, says PHH Arval, and trucks with larger engines waste even more fuel while idling. Consider switching from lead-acid batteries for starting to ultra-capacitor starting systems, and save the AGM batteries for hotel loads. Advanced glass mat batteries, or deep cycle batteries are best for hotel loads, but will wear out prematurely when used as starting batteries. ![]()
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