Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/100783
infocus: AUXILIARY POWER UNITS NO IDLE? NO PROBLEM While APUs may be optional for many fleets, APU makers say driver comfort isn���t BY JACK ROBERTS S mart fleets know that idling simply is untenable in an age of $4-a-gallon diesel fuel, and more states are cracking down on the practice as noise and environmental concerns grow. The problem, though, is that idling ��� hated as it may be by many ��� served an important purpose for many years: Keeping long-haul drivers comfortable in their cabs and sleepers during rest periods. The path forward in the no-idle age is still being written. Shorepower is one promising option, but with limited numbers of slots available at truckstops, many ���eets are turning to auxiliary power units to provide their drivers with comfort options. These add-on mini-HVAC systems use either battery power or a small diesel motor to power the APU without idling the tractor while providing the off-duty driver with full climate control and electricity. Fuel savings aside, a number of no-idle regulations at the state and local level may make it unlawful to idle the truck. ���Add the environmental impact of idling vs. a battery-operated system, and you have a truly compelling argument to use an APU,��� says Bill Gordon, director of global marketing and national director of aftermarket for Bergstrom, which offers the Nite system. Fuel and oil costs account for the single largest item of a vehicle���s operating costs. ���Any ���eet operation interested in idle reduction fuel savings, cabin comfort for driver rest and limited ongoing maintenance and/or replacement costs can bene���t from deploying APUs across their ���eet,��� says Jeff Lynch, president of Idle Smart. Calculating the costs At $8,000 to $10,000 per unit, APUs aren���t cheap. But the good news, APU manufacturers say, is that the return on investment begins immediately, and payback for Idle Free���s APU systems can be installed at the option center for both new Mack and Volvo trucks. 18 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2013 Bergstrom���s Nite System APUs are factory-installed at both Navistar and Freightliner. the system happens relatively quickly. For a $9,500 PowerCube APU, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculates a fuel savings of $8,600 per year based on average use. Going out further, in a three-year period, the ROI is 171 percent. ���This return on investment is a big motivator to ���eets looking at long-term costs,��� says Jill Tolstedt, PowerCube marketing director. Lynch says Idle Smart reminds ���eets that one aspect that is often overlooked in the ROI calculations is the total cost of ownership of idle reduction solutions ��� acquisition cost plus ongoing operating costs. Installation on truck models built in 2005 or later can be accomplished in less than 90 minutes, and depending on hourly rates from the Idle Smart dealer-maintenance facility network, installation should cost less than $250 per truck, he says. The units take up additional space on a vehicle, but Gordon says that in most cases, it���s not a major issue. On factoryinstalled units, the units are placed in the space geometry the OEM has designated for the units, including areas under the bunks or in cabinets, and they are not so large as to affect storage space signi���cantly. The four deep-cycle Absorbed Glass Mat batteries mount on the frame rail or between the frame