Shorepower technologies reported that 24 electrical connections at truck stop parking spaces have been added at the Broadway Flying J Travel Plaza on Interstate 35 at Exit 144, between Des Moines, Iowa, and the Minnesota state line.
By plugging trucks into a power pedestal, drivers can operate heating, air conditioning and cab appliances without having to leave the truck idling during their mandatory 10-hour rest periods, the company said.
“Plug-in power means drivers can have cab comforts including temperature control without the noise and air pollution of idling. With hot temperatures in summer and cold temperatures in winter, this is a service truckers need. We want to be the kind of facility a driver can get a lot of good use out of,” said Dan Alsaker, owner of Broadway Group, which operates the Williams, Iowa, truck stop.
“Adding Broadway Flying J to our network of truck stops offering plug-in power is an important step in making this technology a routine part of truckers’ travels,” added Jeff Kim, president and CEO of Shorepower Technologies. “Drivers will now be able to count on another location at which they can get a sound, healthful night’s rest and save money in the process.”
According to the company, idling a truck consumes as much as a gallon of fuel an hour. With diesel fuel at $4 a gallon or more, idling can easily cost $40 or more per stop. Plug-in power, by contrast, costs $1 an hour, and it helps reduce our nation’s consumption of imported oil. Leaving the engine idling also increases long-term wear and tear on trucks, adding to maintenance and repair costs, Shorepower added. In addition to the health and financial benefits, plug-in power also helps drivers comply with the increasing number of anti-idling laws passed by states and local jurisdictions.
Installation of plug-in power technology at Broadway Flying J is part of the Shorepower Truck Electrification Project (STEP), a federally-funded program aimed at reducing truck idling. Broadway Flying J is one of 50 locations to receive the power pedestals through the program, which is administered by Cascade Sierra Solutions, a Eugene, Ore.-based organization, in partnership with Shorepower Technologies under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy. To see the network of Shorepower sites, visit www.plugintosavings.org.
As part of the STEP program, equipment-purchase incentives are being made available to about 5,000 vehicle owners who commit to using the hook-ups to reduce engine idling.
Shorepower pedestals provide access to 120 VAC, 208 VAC or 240 VAC power sources, sold at a rate of $1 per hour, and to cable TV at most locations, with wireless Internet available for an additional charge. Access and payment can be handled with a credit card, gift card, smartphone, laptop or toll-free customer service hotline.
