Feeling powerless takes many forms, but we have all experienced it at some point in our lives. Nothing seems to be in your control anymore. As a result, you feel that you are a victim of your circumstances. But we aren’t talking about a lack of power in the symbolic sense. We are talking about a literal lack of power.
A lack of power can be particularly troublesome for long haul truckers, especially those who still rely on standard batteries and APUs to provide the power to run the power they need to keep them comfortable during their HOS downtime. And if your goal is to increase retention and ensure your people are satisfied, you need to make sure they have power when they need it. The problem is, there may be a lot of devices and accessories pulling power in the cab.
What’s Using All the Power?
Amenities such as refrigerators, coffeemakers, microwaves, flatscreen TVs, electric blankets, and satellite entertainment systems, not to mention portable tech from cell phones to laptops, drain power reserves – they all use a lot of power, whether your rig is running or not.
According to the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) Confidence Report, the combined load of all these devices might only be sustained for about eight to 10 hours by a truck’s batteries before reaching a critically low voltage. That’s not a long time and could leave your truck drivers powerless pretty quickly. This is where engine idling comes in.
Engine idling has traditionally been the source for supporting power reserves. Without idling a truck driver could wake up without enough power left to crank the engine and get back on the road. But engine idling also uses a lot of fuel.
Other downsides include increased noise and air pollution and a negative impact on the life of your vehicle’s engine. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), excessive idling doubles the wear and tear on your engine and its associated components.
Beyond mechanical wear and tear, there is also a significant environmental impact to consider. As a result, state and federal agencies are proposing stricter laws to reduce emissions caused by idling. The California Air Resources Board (CARB), for example, has adopted phased-in regulations which would require current NOx standards be cut about 75% below current standards beginning in 2024 and 90% below current standards in 2027.
Why is this important? Because it is common knowledge that when California enacts strict regulations governing trucking companies, it is likely to spread to other states and face national adoption. Once it happens in California, it can spread across the rest of the country.
New Solutions to Reduce Truck Idling
To rectify this issue, some OEMs have responded with alternative power solutions that meet the demand of today’s trucking industry without sacrificing performance and reliability. Like we have said many times before, technology is one of your best options to meet the needs of your fleet and truck drivers without sacrificing performance.
Some technologies include a reliable onboard power supply without the need for constant idling. Once a vehicle is in park, these systems can automatically shut down the engine and provide the power your cab needs by utilizing high-density lithium-ion batteries. The batteries are charged natively from a 12-volt alternator and can also be integrated with solar panels and shore power. Lithium-ion technologies are reshaping industries, including trucking.
For extended times of stationary use of the vehicle, these advanced systems manage the engine start/stop to recharge the batteries as needed. This can happen in an automated fashion so that your truck driver doesn’t need to pay special attention to it. You might not think that a little idling would add up to a lot, but fleets that have made the investment in these technologies are reducing idling by more than four hours per day on average, and typical payback from fuel savings alone can be achieved in less than three years.
Rechargeable APUs to the Rescue
Some of these systems are more than just a rechargeable electric APU. Instead, they are a completely integrated system that works with existing electrical systems to supply automatic engine-off A/C and heating through factory vents, plus full power for hotel loads in the cabin including fridge, microwave, and induction cooktop.
Vendors are also employing big data analytics solutions and software to give users detailed insight into the data collected by their vehicles. A secure portal can provide customized reports and graphs of fuel savings, emissions reduction, and overall efficiency. The fleet can then use this data to further fine tune their operations and prevent even more unnecessary idle time.
Advanced methodologies are already being offered to trucking companies, especially where inverters are concerned. Some of the new APUs and inverter chargers on the market can be delivered with built-in communication capabilities between the inverter and the vehicle. What does this mean from a practical perspective? Well, it means the truck will send commands directly to the inverter.
This way, your truck drivers don’t have to try and juggle different voltage settings and set specific points to ensure quick and smooth engine auto starting. To protect batteries with a low voltage disconnect, these advanced inverters can be set to disconnect to match best with the type of battery used. This kind of inter-device communication has become a game changer for APU and inverter technologies.
If it’s connected to the starting batteries, these systems can set the voltage a little higher to ensure enough power to start the vehicle as needed. And if they are connected to deep-cycle batteries or lithium ion, they can be set lower for more power over a longer period.
Lithium-Ion to the Rescue
Speaking of lithium-ion batteries, they have become the hero for fleets. The big plus with lithium-ion technologies is that they can be completely discharged without damage — so if you have a 600-amp hour lithium battery, you have 600-amp hours of usable power. This differs from the way traditional batteries work.
The typical traditional battery banks on commercial vehicles have 400-amp hour capacity, which only gives you 200-amp hours of usable power. Making that even less effective, most OEMs only allow you to discharge the batteries 30%, so in that case, you’re hardly getting any usable battery power at all.
And it is important that you do not just assume that more capacity means more bulk. In fact, the opposite is true for the case of lithium-ion technologies. As the world’s lightest metal, lithium boasts a huge weight advantage — Li-Ion batteries are 60-80% lighter than their lead counterparts. A typical Group 31 battery weighs about 75 lbs. while a similar Li-Ion battery only weighs 28 lbs. This is the primary reason why lithium-ion batteries are being used to revolutionize transportation and replace internal combustion.
Electric APUs that use Li-Ion battery banks also have an advantage over diesel APUs that still require fuel and maintenance. Using an inverter charger paired with a Li-Ion battery bank can supply both DC and AC power solutions to run all sleeper cab loads, including battery-powered HVAC, in a clean, quiet environment. Many lithium-ion APU and battery solutions can also be equipped with redundant safety features, making them the safest in the market today.
Try Solar as a Recharge Solution
There’s one more charging source that adds to the efficiency of Li-Ion batteries, and that’s solar power. Using the sun to top off and support battery levels is a perfect way to ensure you effectively eliminate idling completely because the truck engine doesn’t need to run, nor do you need to hunt down shore power to get a charge.
Solar panels connect to the batteries by way of a charge controller that regulates the power being delivered and insures it’s the right voltage for the specific type of battery. Vendors also offer products that integrate with inverters and chargers that display pertinent data that lets you know exactly how the solar system is functioning.
Unlike the thick, hard solar panels used on most buildings, solar panels on trucks are thin and flexible to better fit their curved surfaces. They also come in different power levels and incorporate mesh grid-technology that allows the panel to be contoured to curved surfaces without impacting power output. In addition, many new varieties can harvest up to 20% more energy during the day and in low light or shaded conditions compared to a rigid flat solar panel.
In the end, truck driver comfort is an important aspect of job satisfaction, recruitment, and retention. With hours-of-service rules requiring more rest periods, fleets are specifying trucks with more amenities than ever before. Add to those, mounting restrictions on idling and the necessity for fleets to be CARB compliant, and alternative power solutions make good sense. By capitalizing on a dedicated, highly efficient and trustworthy battery bank, you effectively put the power your truck drivers need back in your control.