Good connections

Good connections

Electrical problems are costly, time consuming and a general nuisance

It is a costly problem for fleets—damage to electrical nose boxes on trailers and to electrical lines connecting tractors to trailers when a driver has to make a 90º turn to back into a loading area or delivery location. “Fleets and drivers report this happening quite often,” says Bob Phillips, president and CEO of Phillips Industries. “Once cables surpass their maximum working length, the pull is so hard it can destroy the plug, socket, electrical cables and nose box. Surpassing the working length happens mostly when backing into a tight dock space and the driver must turn the cab beyond its usual backing entry angle.”

The costs add up, Phillips notes. Included are the expenses of a road call, replacement parts and labor, and in some cases, downtime. There’s also the possibility of a driver losing available hours of service while the repair is made, causing delivery delays and impacting customer service.

“Carriers know this is a costly item,” Phillips says. “For example, one driver reported that he had this happen twice in the same day. Even larger is a major fleet that buys 3,000 electrical cables annually for 6,000 tractors. That’s a component that should last the life of the vehicle, yet it unnecessarily cost them over $250,000 to fix this type of damage each year.”

Phillips is quick to relate that a longer cable is not always the answer. At $3 to $5 per foot, that can be expensive. Too long, and they also can drag on the deck plate, leading to inspection and CSA issues, not to mention fines.

“The solution is an electrical nose box that follows the movement of the tractor so when a driver backs in, the electrical lines are not ripped out and the nose box is not damaged,” Phillips says. “This is something that we’ve wanted to build for years but could never find the method to make it functional without compromising the copper conductors, and make it driver friendly.”
truck-lite's lindemuth reminds fleets that the initial cost of durable led lamps is recovered by the reduction of maintenance and downtime expenditures.
Earlier this year, Phillips introduced just such a solution. The company’s new Sta-Dry S7 is an electrical nosebox with a socket assembly that swivels to match the angle of the cab to the trailer. When the driver makes a sharp turn backing into a dock, the S7 allows the cable to follow the direction of the cab. The unit’s socket follows the tractor, swiveling 80º side to side (40º in each direction). If the working length of the cable is exceeded, it simply ejects from the socket undamaged.

The Phillips Sta-Dry S7 has been tested to over 750,000 rotating cycles without any noticeable wear or failure. Its heavy gauge steel brackets are epoxy coated inside and out for resistance to harsh environments, and the electrical box is made of a weather-resistant glass-filled nylon. The unit’s replaceable J560 socket is the corrosion and moisture resistant Phillips QCS2 model that is used on nearly every tractor coming off OEM production lines and is field replaceable without rewiring.

Soon to be a spec option from manufacturers on new trailers, the Sta-Dry S7 is available for retrofit as a complete kit including the nose box and swivel sockets, or as individual components. The S7 can be used with 15-, 20- and 30-amp circuit breakers and can accommodate the company’s Permalogic module if the fleet is running reefers or liftgates and wants battery protection consolidation in one unit. Mounting plates are offered for all makes of van trailers, and the swivel sockets can be ordered, without a connection box, for flatbeds using the Phillips Slim-7 connection system.
peterson's gilbert states that the use of led lights is the
“The additional cost of the Sta-Dry S7 is about the same as one replacement electrical cable,” Phillips says. “With this technology, trailer manufacturers can provide fleets a solution to a common problem, benefiting from elimination of damaged electrical and air lines, broken nose boxes, connectors and gladhands, and unnecessary road calls.”

Lighting Developments
Understanding the return on investment in LED lighting is key, notes Jamie Lindemuth, marketing coordinator at Truck-Lite Co. “LED lamps may require a higher initial investment, but the reduction in maintenance and downtime makes up the difference quickly. The added durability and performance of LED lamps translates to minimal replacement costs, with a return on investment of less than two years. Meanwhile, LED lighting technology continues to evolve and improve, helping fleets decrease electrical system costs.”

Solid-state, bulb-free LED lighting products are virtually impervious to damage from shock and vibration, Lindemuth notes. They feature electronics sealed in epoxy to resist damage caused by corrosion, moisture and heat entrapment. LEDs also have less current draw, resulting in increased battery and alternator life while allowing more power for other vehicle requirements. Not to be overlooked is the fact that the faster illumination of LEDs offers a safety benefit for following drivers, who can react more quickly.
Grote's Draper notes that lower life cycle cost is the main benefit of LED lamps.
“Lower life cycle cost is the main benefit when it comes to LED lamps,” says Tom Draper, manager of marketing at Grote Industries. “The primary lighting cost incurred by fleets is unplanned downtime. For example, a fleet with 2,000 trailers uses 8,000 stop/tail/turn lamps. At a 3.5-year life expectancy per bulb, divided by 365 days per year, that fleet will experience approximately six failures per day, which creates about 2,190 downtime episodes per year.

“LED lamps also can help avoid lighting violations,” Draper states. “One of the things to emerge from a study of CSA data is that lighting infractions are one of the easiest categories to decrease and control, and are one of the leading reasons a fleet’s score can deteriorate.  It’s not just that a non-functioning tail lamp is a six-point violation. In 2011, lighting violations accounted for four of the top 11 violation categories, or 22.3% of all maintenance violations.”

 RESOURCES
Phillips Industries  www.phillipsind.com
Truck-Lite Co.  www.truck-lite.com
Grote Industries  www.grote.com
Peterson Manufacturing Co.  www.pmlights.com
EnerSys/Odyssey  www.odysseybattery.com

The use of long life LED lights is no longer remarkable,” says Tim Gilbert, corporate director of sales for fleets and OEMs at Peterson Manufacturing Co. “Today they’re the norm. The latest developments center around making the rest of the lighting system, especially on trailers, last as long as the LEDS.

“This effort is focused on developing the most corrosion-resistant components featuring improved sealing and dramatically greater resistance to moisture and road chemicals,” Gilbert adds. “Another goal is to create modular systems so when maintenance is required, usually due to physical damage, the components can be replaced more quickly, at decreased labor costs and downtime.”

Converting to LEDs, the manufacturers all note, should be considered an investment in reducing downtime and unplanned maintenance. A successful LED conversion program should not be identified as a cost, but rather an investment in productivity and profitability.


BATTERY CONSIDERATIONS
What should fleets consider when choosing vehicle batteries? “Cost of ownership should be a primary consideration,” says Kalyan Jana, product manager of AGM products for EnerSys, makers of Odyssey batteries. “The next consideration should be how the battery will be used—strictly for engine start, or will the battery also power inverter loads? If the latter, then the batteries must be dual purpose in nature, as they must be able to cycle as well as provide high cranking capability.

“Thin plate pure lead (TPPL) continues to be the most cost effective battery solution for today’s trucks its their plethora of auxiliary electrical loads,” Jana continues. “There are other technologies such as lithium, but they remain cost prohibitive for now. However, used properly with correct charging and adequate protection from over discharging, TPPL batteries offer the best combination of moderate cost and high performance from batteries that are commercially available today."

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