Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/555101
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | AUGUST 2015 33 ment and military vehicles have opened up, with the construction industry turning into a huge new opportunity, Throgmor- ton says. "APUs are not just limited to climate control for drivers," he says. "They can also warm hydraulic and engine oil tanks during the winter months. There are new engine technologies that we have our eye on, as well as alternative energy options that will allow us to capture wasted energy and repurpose it into a usable form." Rolling Thunder is beta-testing an APU system powered by a truck's own kinetic energy. The unit will arrive on the North American market later this year, says Jim Dierickx, company president and inventor of its Fuel-Less APU system, which works by extending a power wheel to the road- way to capture kinetic energy as a truck moves. "It's the same concept as a hybrid vehicle where the system captures brake energy," Dierickx says. The wheel powers a series of four alternators producing 540 watts of energy to charge the battery bank in two hours at 60 mph. Once the system is fully charged, the wheel retracts, and the APU delivers up to 12 hours of in-cab energy and climate control. "Trends in the APU market are hard to predict, but are not very far behind the automotive industry," Sararus says. "There are many electric units in the marketplace that can deliver air conditioning and heat- ing, but an electric unit still is not capable of providing what a diesel-powered APU can in terms of multifunction convenience and cooling and heating demands." To meet these needs, Sararus says Rig- Master is in the final stage of unveiling its Hybrid APU system designed to provide the best of both worlds: energy savings and premium comfort. "This new concept will cover all cus- tomer expectations and requirements – a compact, lightweight, powerful cooling and heating system, able to charge the truck batteries and power management system at a minimal maintenance cost and a high return on the investment, yet environmentally friendly while meeting all EPA current and future emissions standards," he says. North America's Best Fleets Bypass with PrePass PrePass keeps over half a million qualifi ed trucks on the move through safety pre-screening and bypass authorization at hundreds of weigh stations across the nation. For over 20 years, North America's best fl eets have trusted the solutions provided by PrePass. Do you want to save time, fuel and money? Contact us to see if you qualify. WE SUPPORT: www.PrePassNow.com 888.361.PASS PREPASS IS PROVIDED BY HELP INC., THE ONLY NON-PROFIT PRE- SCREENING AND BYPASS SERVICE IN NORTH AMERICA. ENDORSED BY See us at GATS Booth #15048 & ATA MC&E Booth #1237 Rolling Thunder's Fuel-Less APU works by extending a power wheel to the roadway to capture kinetic energy.