Idling...how many gallons per hour?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Gazoo, Aug 12, 2007.

  1. BobC

    BobC Medium Load Member

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    I don't know.
    I believe there's a tax break for buying one.
    I don't think that covers the difference between road use & home heating use.

    But, think about the implications.

    If companies could have been counting the gallons as non-road use & not subject to road use taxes, that's a ton of money they could sue the states & IFTA for.

    Maybe companies have been quietly doing just this & not letting that secret out?

    I wonder if I can make a buck out of this with a shrewd attorney? :biggrin_25525:

    Imagine the millions & millions of dollars that would be coming back for O/O's & companies.

    I have a trucking attorney who I might ask this of despite he's more into the labor side of trucking. He might be able to put me in touch with someone more knowledgeable of this subject.
     
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  3. Bullwinkle

    Bullwinkle Medium Load Member

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    The only problem with APU's is that they have not been perfected yet. The company I work for is fitting every new truck they buy with one, but we have noticed some problems with them. The ones that work properly are wonderful, but the ones that are having problems are a pain in the butt.

    I am getting my first experience with APU's starting this weekend. I just got into my 07 Peterbilt, and while I haven't actually driven it anywhere yet, I have to say, that air conditioner that the APU powers is awesome. I spent this afternoon transferring all my junk from my old t2000 into this new truck and I felt like I was in my house. Then again, the A/C in my t2000 sucked and you basically was at a borderline sweat during the mid-afternoon if you weren't moving down the highway.
     
  4. Gazoo

    Gazoo Resident Mental Patient

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    What brand are they installing...that has a lot to do with reliability.
     
  5. wallbanger

    wallbanger "Enemy of showers everywhere"

    Hey BobC, good luck with that. My guess is that after about thirty seconds of listening to you, the IRS rep would reply with a quick hang-up. Since the fuel you use (for an APU) comes out of your fuel tanks, it's difficult to exactly determine how much is used for creature comforts and for running the road.
    My guess is that it's all fuel, and they pay the fuel/road tax on all of it, then complain that their drivers idle too much, and therefore can't get a raise.
     
  6. BobC

    BobC Medium Load Member

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    Yeah you're probably right.
    It's ok to dream though?
     
  7. Tip

    Tip Tipster

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    Does Honda make those portable generators that run on diesel? That'd be a nice addition for sure. One would only have to build a secure containment for it somewhere underneath.

    The AUX units may be kinda heavy, meaning lost capacity. That may or may not mean something to the average driver. I know I ran close to capacity only about 1/3 of the time. Others may run close to 80K more than that.

    If you have an older Western Star with a Cat engine, you will take more of a handicap by adding an auxiliary unit. With a DD-powered Volvo, not so much.

    I've wondered if one could rig up a small generator to a reefer engine (on the wagon) and power an a.c. air conditioner or heater in the cab via a power cord. Don't know if that would work.
     
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  8. NightWind

    NightWind Road Train Member

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    The fuel used in a APU is considered off road use, however you need to be able to accurately report the amount of fuel that they are using. Having them run off the main fuel tanks is a great idea if you can put a metering system on the line to the APU so that you have accurate records. You could put a metering system on the line or split the fuel tank, or have a separate tank for them.

    The older engines that the OEM recommends that you idle up on average use 1.5-1.75 gallons per hour. some of the newer ones use that much as well so I'd say the cost of the APU would outweigh the cost and weight penalty that comes with one which personally I don't think is enough to worry about when you look at the over all savings of using a APU which includes wear on the engine, engine components, maintenance, and the possibility of ruining an engine from a failed water line, pump etc.
     
  9. wallbanger

    wallbanger "Enemy of showers everywhere"

    Oh hell yeah, if I couldn't dream while driving (esp for Covenant) then I'd probably already be dead!

    I don't know about diesel gensets (at least from honda) but I have seen many drivers with gasoline gensets bolted to the catwalk, that they use to power the truck accessories. I have even seen a T600 with a hole in the sleeper's backwall, where a small household window air conditioner was put in!

    As for the reefer idea, I have spoken with one driver who claimed that he was able to route some flex hose from his reefer unit into the cab, thru (again!) a hole in the back wall. I never saw it, just heard him talking about it on the CB one night. That one, I'm not so sure about.

    As for the weight issue, eventually (hopefully) the Feds will step in and push the 400 lb weight exemption onto the states, so we won't have to worry about running slightly over gross.

    But listen to me, feds, doing something right. The states, cutting us a break; sheez, what WAS in that last stogie...
     
  10. L.B.

    L.B. Third Generation Truck Driver

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    Tip, as far as the lost capacity goes, there is an exemption leter that will allow you to be 500 lbs over your weight if you use an APU. It's part of the anti-ideling initiative so drives don't get penalized for using a fuel saving device.

    As far as the reefer hook up, there is a guy in CA that makes such a device if you pull a dedicated refeer. It hooks the reefer to the trucks batteries so the trucks batteries will stay charged while you are in the sleeper. It also works to help start the reefer if the refeer batteries are dead. Basically ties the two charging systems together. He also makes a battery bank system that will last more than 10 hours on one charge.

    I will find these and post them shortly.

    LB
     
  11. Gazoo

    Gazoo Resident Mental Patient

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    I have thought of doing this, but seems like more trouble.
     
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