It doesn’t matter what kind of operation your fleet isinvolved in, you’re getting pressure to save money. Because of the cost offuel, linehaul fleets in particular are feeling the pressure. If that’s you andyou haven’t yet attacked excessive idling, you have a golden opportunity tomake a positive contribution to your company’s bottom line.

While most fleets are going to be interested in managingengine idling times as a cost saving strategy, some will be concerned becausethey need to comply with the growing list of regulations limiting the time anengine can be idled.

Just how much does idling an over-the-road diesel enginecost? A couple of quick answers could be either “lots” or “more than youthink.” A heavy-duty diesel will consume between 0.8 and one gallon of fueleach hour it idles. If that isn’t enough to get your attention, consider howmany hours an average truck idles over a year’s time. According to severalstudies –– government and industry alike –– the average linehaul truck withoutidling control technology will idle between 1,800 and 2,400 hours annually.Even if your fleet is on the low side of the range, you’re looking at $4,500 ayear for each truck in the fleet if fuel were to cost only $2.50 per gallon.

And that figure is just for the fuel. According togovernment studies, a truck idling for one hour also suffers engine wear equalto about seven miles of driving. The American Trucking Association states thatjust one hour of idling per day for one year results in the equivalent of64,000 miles in engine wear. These data should supply you with enough incentiveto begin a search for some kind of anti-idling strategy that will work in youroperation.

Simply telling your drivers to shut their engines off whenthey’re not on the road isn’t going to work. They want to keep cool duringsummer months in Arizona and warm in Minnesota in the winter. They also wantrefrigerators, microwaves, televisions and other hotel loads.

 

The choice is wide

If you haven’t yet addressed the topic, when you do, you’llfind that there’s a wide range of options from which to choose. For example,you can opt for a system that provides only engine-off heating and/or coolingfor the cab and sleeper. You will find systems powered by the truck’sbatteries, a bank of additional deep-cycle batteries or an additional smallengine-powered alternator. If you’re spec’ing a new truck, you will find thatsome OEMs will install complete anti-idling systems on the line while othersoffer a prewired sleeper ready for easy installation of almost any kind ofaftermarket auxiliary power system.

For new truck buyers, it’s not a question of will some kindof anti-idling and/or hotel load technology be included, the question is whatkind. According to Rick Wood, Peterbilt’s manager of customer service, “Thecustomer requirement for hotel load power is almost universal now.”

 

Some OEM designs

Truck builders have chosen varied strategies for theirproducts. Kenworth Truck Co., for example, offers a factory installed,integrated system called Clean Power on its T800 and W900 models equipped withthe 72-in. AeroCab sleeper. According to KW, the system can enhance fueleconomy by as much as 8% for customers with high idling times. It uses adedicated deep-cycle battery pack to supply DC power to an inverter, whichsubsequently provides 120 VAC hotel load power inside the sleeper compartment.Andy Zehnder, the company’s on-highway marketing manager, says, “Our testingindicates that the driver can get ten hours of use –– that includes cooling andpower for a microwave, a flat-screen television and laptop, a coffee maker,etc. –– all the creature comforts a driver would be looking for in an electrifiedsleeping compartment.”

Obviously, Kenworth has chosen not to strap another engineonto a truck rail for its anti-idling solution. Zehnder says, “If I were amaintenance manager looking for a solution to my fleet’s anti-idling needs,just the maintenance demands of another engine strapped onto the frame railwould be daunting.” The Clean Power system is EPA SmartWay certified.

Volvo Trucks North America has gone down another path andoffers a number of options for fleets in need of power for hotel loads and/oran anti-idling solution. Among them is a Dometic HVAC system powered by aCummins 120 VAC diesel generator that also supplies power for the truck’s hotelloads. Using 80% less fuel than the truck’s main engine, the system will reducefuel costs while allowing the driver to comply with idling reduction laws andstringent noise and emissions regulations. If you don’t want to use a CumminsAPU, the company offers a version of the system that includes only the DometicHVAC unit that needs either another APU or 120 VAC shore power. Both of theseoptional systems are installed at the Fontaine Modification facility.

Also included in Volvo’s hotel load solutions is a Xantrexinverter/charger system that requires a 120 VAC shore power kit and fourbatteries. This option, like those above, offers 120 VAC power in the sleeperfor hotel loads. The Xantrex unit includes a 50-amp battery charger that canautomatically bring a truck’s batteries to a full state of charge when thevehicle is connected to shore power.

Fleet managers need to understand ramifications of usingaftermarket hotel load solutions. Frank Bio, Volvo’s product manager – trucks,says, “Typically, OE’s will not warrant failures to systems that connectdirectly into factory installed systems such as air conditioning lines or somecab modifications that could affect the integrity of the cab. Electricalsources need to be addressed according to manufacturer requirements includingcircuit loading and should not be haphazardly selected. We need to rememberthat the electrical systems are getting more complicated and electrical spikes,caused by improper grounding, etc., may destroy electronic control modules. Forframe mountings, consider the required spacing and clearances, especially withthe introduction of diesel particulate filters. A sound business case should beevaluated before making the investment.”

Peterbilt takes yet another approach to solving the desirefor hotel load power. Pete’s Rick Wood says, “We make the truck ready for laterinstallation of idling control solutions. In that way we accommodate thebroadest possible range of what customers might want to add to their trucks. Wetry to make it easy for them whether they want 12 VDC or 120 VAC in thesleeper. Our pre-installed system allows the typical installation time to gofrom 12 hours down to about two hours. That is a significant benefit for thecustomer.”

Here again, we hear that caution must be exercised duringthe installation of any aftermarket system. Wes Mays, manager of Peterbilt’selectrical engineering department, says, “The greatest opportunity for asuccessful installation is for a technician to use the connection points wedesigned. A key mistake he can make is to cut into one of our harnessesbelieving he has found a nice power source. We have ample connectionsthroughout the system to tap into that are fused and offer the proper way to doit. If a technician utilizes Peterbilt’s connection points, there will be nowarranty issues.”

Mays goes on to say, “The best thing you can do to protectyour vehicle is to install a low-voltage disconnect. This will automaticallymonitor the truck’s batteries and shut down the load if they get to a conditionwhere the vehicle might not start. It will guarantee starting condition andalso protect the batteries, which are extremely sensitive to deep discharge.”

 

Continuing demand

The demand for creature comforts in sleepers is not going togo away nor are laws limiting idling time and noise generation. As a result,the demand for engine-off power solutions will continue.

The choice of solutions is extensive, and the expectedreturn on the required investment makes the business decision relatively easy.The difficult part is picking the right one for your operation.