Running with JCT, Part Deux

In my opinion the tk is a superior product. The fact that it does not need to run for everything helps me save money. The fact the tk can be set to start when I shut off the key and off when I start the truck is a plus. The external power inverter is also better. If my apu takes a dump and won't start I still have power unlike the comfort pro. Also I like the staff at my local tk better then the staff at the other one lol.

 

I'm all for the tk due to inverter and the bunk heater. It would be nice if the apu was plumbed to the main engine coolant like every other apu I have used at every other company. This is the first company I've been at where it's closed loop, and mine will over heat unless I open the apu service door.

I actually programmed my TK to allow it to keep running when I turn my ignition so I can check the Qualcomm without killing my AC.

I just don't like the idea of if the carrier engine goes down, I lose heat and internal power. At least with the TK I can still be warm and cook, even if it means idling the truck to top off the batteries before sleeping.

 

It also irritates me that I can't pay professionals to install an inverter in something I'm already paying 600+ a week for. If they are good enough to put them into tk trucks it should be good enough for carriers.

It's not like it's a company truck where they lose money on the install. I'd pay for it.

 

I also like the Tk, mainly because it banks power to the battery pack and shuts off. When I used to have one I would leave it on all the time. Even when away from the truck for a night. Hardly ever kicked on but during the winter my truck was always warm. Lol. Off course I wasn't paying for the fuel then...
But I think if anybody could pick to run their reefer on continuous or cycle, most would pick cycle. Could be wrong about that..

 

*would

 

I like continuous on the reefers.......more points and gallons to the shower power. I'll take every extra gallon of PFJ reefer fuel I can get as I struggle to get 500 gallons on a month cuz PFJ isn't the best deal most of the time.

 

In my opinion a closed loop system is better than a system that shares coolant with the truck. If you ever have a serious coolant leak, both truck and APU are down. This way, you'll always have one option.

Ppl think that sharing truck coolant with an APU helps keep the coolant warm in cold weather. This is a myth. That little coolant pump on the APU CANNOT cycle 12 gallons of coolant.

 

The prez of W &B and Chris Langley both tried to tell me that with the TK APU your truck battery life will be shortened because the inverter draws on your batteries and the APU charges them back up. The batteries have only so many cycles they can go thru in their lifetime before they go bad. That may or may not be true, but line I told them both, 2 trucks, 2 TK APUs, and I got over 200k miles on each set of batteries. Considering I use on average 3000 hours of APU time per year, I'm extremely happy with the results as 200k is typically the life of batteries. Of course I don't buy cheap batteries either. That's one item I'm willing to pay premium for to get performance.

 

I so agree. I looked at the options in the program mode of my Carrier apu and it has a battery monitor, a temperature monitor, etc. So, if I install an inverter, I can set my comfort pro up to just run on demand. Almost like the TK. I'm a thermo king fan because I lived in a truck that had one installed.

Now, I know Tiger is king of the hill, but I got ignored.

The spreadsheet answer isn't a good one.

How often do you 41?

Scenario...I'm just coming off of hometime. I get a 2000 mile run to Florida. I can easily be a day and a half early. Do I send a 41 in the first hour after my load call or do I wait to get 1000 miles down the road? Or do I sit on it and deliver?

Scenario...I'm running 40 from Cali to North Carolina. I'm going to be 15 hours early. Do I do a 41 with the intent to divert to Sapulpa? Is that allowed? I don't know. Never told explicitly and I don't assume.

I would love to see the numbers from a successful person...making more than a thousand a week on average..having a new truck at .23 a mile.....I'd love to see a typical week laid out in detail. How many 41's, average length of haul, etc.

The explicit answers to these questions should be put in a memo, tattooed on the front door of the Sapulpa headquarters, drilled into the head at orientation, etc.

Given the fact mpg can vary from 6.0 to 8.5 based on nothing but the trailer you get, the way it's loaded, the route you take, the fuel you get (amount of biodiesel percentage), etc, that's enough variability for anybody. There is no way to precalculate those expenses. So, knowing the optimum way to run is important.

 

I don't care if I had to buy batteries every six months, the convenience of an inverter is invaluable.