New Idea for truckers

Idling costs money too. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I for one am concerned with being a responsible steward of the planet. If I were to own my own ride these days, I would invest in an APU and save the wear and tear on my engine (since most of us know that idling wears an engine more than running it under load )

My new companies 2011 Petes are Clean Idle certified. $6000 in emissions equipment alone, and we have to stop once every 2 weeks or so and put 15 gallons of DEF http://kostusa-com.netsolads.com/def/EPA2010.html in it. Under these standards and technology, 65 trucks will produce as much emissions as 1 non-equipped truck.

Yeah, it costs more money to do things right. It's more trouble to recycle than just toss garbage out without regard. My company has environmentally responsible practices, and it's one of the reasons I'm proud to work for them.

And we still make a profit. What a concept.

 

When someone opens a statement by saying they believe in being a responsible steward of the planet, the first thought in my mind is that is a semantical way of claiming moral high ground. My second thought is how much it will cost me. And that's about the time I shut down and fail to hear what may have been a valid point.

Here's the deal: the OP estimates a solar/wind unit's cost is around 2K. After the developers, marketers, corporate lobbyists, bureaucrats and politicians get done with it, you better multiply that by about 5. As asked before, where do you intend on mounting all this? How much will it weigh and therefore take away from my payload? How will it affect the aerodynamics of the vehicle I have, which has been carefully engineered to reduce wind drag and, thus, fuel consumption? How will it affect the aesthetics of my vehicle? (Yes, there are some of us who consider this.) Since we are required to have a 10 hour rest period, how is your 5-6 hours of power going to help me...when I'll have to interrupt my sleep to get up and start the truck so it can idle for the remaining 4-5 hours? How will this system function as a block warmer during extreme weather?

If it's noise that concerns you, find a way to put a muffler on an APU. If emissions, figure out how to run the APU exhaust through the DPF filter already installed on my truck. There are already battery systems in existence to address these issues that charge during operation of the vehicle. The factors that have kept them from being popular are cost and weight. Besides that, my truck with the motor that weighs more than your entire car puts out less emissions than most cars. You want to clean up the environment? Put the same type of filter on all cars as is required equipment on my truck. You don't want to hear trucks and APUs? Don't buy a house next to the truck stop.

Sorry if I sound a little cranky, but I'm getting a bit tired of people looking at trucks as the problem simply because we are bigger and more visible.

 

For the most part, there are 2 brands of APU's (that look identical) that are very quiet. Thermo-kings and carriers. Rig masters,and some of the other brands are the ones that are quite noisy and hard to get parts or service. A former employer had tri-paks on every truck and on my particular truck, the apu had over 9000 hrs with regular maintenance and 1 bolt that had to be tightened. Granted not all experience that kind of luck. Jusy my .02

 

It was called Park N View..

 

So, I botched the presentation. Valid point.

However, I do stand for what I feel is right in these forums. Whether it be responsible driving, or responsible behavior, so be it. I do believe in recycling and treating the planet and all of it's inhabitants with respect. I walk the walk, not just wag my tonsils.

If I get thrown out on my ear for doing so... then maybe I'm in the wrong line of work.

I did a little more reading on the DEF I spoke about. Yes, it's a pricey option to begin with, but it more or less pays for itself within a year by improving overall MPG. So, it's a smart investment. APU's cost less to operate per BTU or Watt then running a big bore diesel per gallon alone, and then when you factor in the extended engine life - more savings.

So, the 2 things that do good for the planet, actually save money over the long run.

Whether you run 1 truck, or 1000, you wound consider yourself a businessman (or woman), correct? So that bottom line is food on your plate, as far as I see it.

My company has embraced the philosophy that to invest correctly in:

1. Good People, who get treated exceptionally well, stay around, and treat their customers well.
2. Good equipment, which is more efficient and productive.
3. Good customer service, which retains business while other companies lose contracts.

That is more effective and cheaper overall than having:

1. Disgruntled people who abuse equipment and customers.
2. Unreliable trucks and trailers which break down and cost more in the long run to operate.

You can call it moral high ground if you want. Feel free to kick my soapbox out from under my feet.

I just call it smart.

I don't feel the solar system would work well either, but maybe you gave the OP a great few points on how to make it better with the ideas you presented. Maybe instead of being able to gaze at the stars through your skylight, a panel could go there instead and save YOU a ton of money, over the long haul.

I bet the guy that invented the electronic cigarette had naysayers along the way. I'm sure he's chuckling as he looks at his bank account these days.

Bigger trucks aren't the problem, it's the stubbornness towards change that is.

Good rebuttal tho'. I enjoyed it.

 

The hood and the roof could be made of actual solar panels. In the housing industry, they have come up with solar shingles... And a windmill type fan could be mounted on the front bumper to capture power to supply a battery bank for later use. No way is all that for $2k though. However if you hit a deer there would be no damage as the windmill would turn it into hamburger thus reducing insurance claims- so the cost might be offset right there to make it worth it.

 

The fact ANYBODY would suggest a Windmill on a moving vehicle suggests that they must believe in perpetual motion.....and they have never ridden in a truck and felt the vibrations...it would crack most solar panels quick, and the payback on solar panels on a non moving item like a house is 20 years (sure generator power is more pricey per watt, but still, the numbers in terms of energy density ((a set of panels on a truck might be good for 120 watts in full sunlight...it MIGHT charge a battery to 50%...but an AC needs 2000 Watts....DO THE MATH!!))of the battery and solar panels per pound is so low...making them mobile is a loosing proposition unless fuel is VERY scarce and $$$$, and the driving is minimal).....if you got 10 on a truck, that would be great...but dirt, dead bugs etc would all reduce the efficiency by a HUGE %....and BOTH IMO would do more to INCREASE fuel consumption due to weight/drag issues (remember the HUGE BATTERY BANK you would need (and regularly replace+service). Remember, Excess weight + excess drag = LESS cargo in the back+ and less MPG + more wear and tear on the equipment= less profits= smaller paychecks to the owner/driver, even in a big fleet.... and you want power after a rainy day right (so bigger batts or more expensive ones are needed!?...so it would be a NET LOSS in terms of $$$ and more carbon released for you greenies. Usually doing the cheap thing is also the green thing...LONG TERM. Idle less...you burn less fuel, and cause less wear and tear on the motor, and reduce wear and all associated costs. APU's are priciey...but still cheaper to run/maintain than a 12 liter motor!! BUT even with an APU, anything that can be done to reduce its run-time is a plus!!

Awesome...it is so nice to see someone looking at the longer term, and knowing the short term will work cause your people will make it work for you, cause they like their company, and will be loyal!!

 

Sgriggs, you would have to take your idea to a company that makes trucks or a trucking company to install in their trucks. The windmill idea would be hard in winter because of freezing spray from the road or fog. Solar panels sounds like a good idea but I have always wondered why electric cars don't have solar hoods, roof, and trunk so the person doesn't have to plug it in all the time and gets some charging when parked at work or at the store?

 

Same here...good level headed debate gets people thinking...
I would plan on derateing the batteries capicity by 30% to ensure long life...and the effects of cold.
I can see how a battery bank could help run 12V items on a 10 hr break..even a smallish inverter, or run a combustion heater!!
The problem is is that cooling takes lots of power...and unless the cab is insulated like a thermos bottle, getting 10 hrs of cooling out of a battery bank, even if you use a cold soaked mass for the first few hours is unlikely (I think one commercial system uses such a system)...and then after the first 10 hrs...you are back to idling....the energy density of batterys MIGHT let you go ONE night in a well designed system...but not a night, and a day or more...even parked in the sun with 100+watts of "free"solar...the heat gain from being parked in the sun on a hot day negates the watts for cooling!!
Short of tapping into the grid system for longer breaks (an extension cord at a truck stop), a battery based system will need idle time or gen to be effective...and if you have either...the weight of the battery's become somewhat redundant, along with any solar...since they become excess weight.
I do like the "improved" batteries, with a good charge controller, maybe even upping the voltage by a volt to get the 100% charge deep cycle cells need...that extra 10-20% charge from full at normal voltages, and truly FULL is big!!