CCJ

August 2015

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/555101

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 33 of 128

32 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | AUGUST 2015 A nti-idling laws now are the norm across the country and are so firmly entrenched in the public's mind that parked trucks with engines running – once so commonplace, they attracted little if any notice – stand out starkly in cities and neighborhoods. But for long-haul truckers, anti-idling laws created a big problem: Staying comfortable during off-duty hours. Var- ious solutions were proposed, including shorepower hookups that allowed truckers to plug into a local power grid – much like a boat in port. For many fleets, auxiliary power units were a better solution while offering more flexibility for drivers in the field and getting around the limited amount of shorepower berths available in truck stops. Today, APUs are being challenged by ev- er-increasing in-cab power loads as drivers plug in more electronic devices and fleets offer incentive packages that include high- end comfort items such as satellite TVs. Also, as anti-idling laws and noise stat- utes become even more commonplace, the need for quality auxiliary power is becom- ing a requirement for a growing number of vocational and municipal fleets. All of this keeps APU manufacturers busy, continually pushing the design envelope. "APUs today are not what they were in the past – a luxury item," says Adam Sararus, production manager for RigMas- ter. "They are becoming a more standard feature for many trucks and fleets alike." Sararus says many fleets use APUs as a recruitment tool, while at other fleets, the driver will lease the truck and APU for a fee that pays for the unit and any maintenance or repair work. This gives the owners piece of mind when calculating operating costs, he says. As for driver comfort, many customers have told RigMaster that APUs save them money and make living on the road more like living at home, Sararus says. "The comfort features that an APU can provide to keep a driver comfortable will help them to enjoy their downtime and sometimes make the delays more bearable," he says. New markets, new ideas Designing and building a reliable APU starts with an almost maddening set of challenges. Beyond unit performance, APUs must be lightweight while enduring road shock and vibration. "The key to a successful APU design is one that truly stands up to the every- day abuse of the road and is still able to perform at 100 percent when a driver needs it most," says Matt Throgmorton, vice president of sales for Parks Industries, which manufactures HP2000 series APUs. "Being the lightest-weight, most fuel-effi- cient, most heating-and-cooling-capacity APU is what everyone is striving for in the industry." Throgmorton says Parks' research with inverters is an example of the company's work to find more efficient ways to oper- ate APUs. "In-cab power is easily attain- able with the addition of a higher-wattage inverter partnered with a larger-amperage DC alternator," he says. "This allows for the owner to customize power options while maintaining fuel savings and reduced engine maintenance." New APU markets such as law enforce- in focus: AUXILIARY POWER UNITS Changes in power needs, technology push vendors to up their game BY JACK ROBERTS The unending APU evolution RigMaster customers have said their APUs save them money and make living on the road more like living at home. Parks Industries' HP2000 series APUs are designed to be lightweight while enduring road shock and vibration.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of CCJ - August 2015