Question 8 Wednesday, January 26th, 2005 @ 12:00 am

Q.		I am 75 years old and can remember when gasoline was 30 and 40 cents a gallon diesel fuel was 10 cents less. The reason is that it costs less at the refinery level to makediesel fuel. My son is an owner operator and pays for his own fuel. If I was […]

A.		This is a tough one but I feel compelled to respond. Joe, while this is not relevant to this particular subject, I know what you’re up against. I unfortunately can’t help you in getting the price of fuel reduced, however there are steps that can be taken. One of biggest expenses to your son is his fuel cost. I hope he does not idle his truck needlessly, but if he does, he has to look into acquiring some sort of idle reduction technology. There are many options out there. Owner Operators are somewhat more conscious of their bottom dollar, but fact is that Class 8 trucks are idling 30%-50% of the time, especially in colder climates. By using anti-idling technologies you can get these percentages down below 15%. There is an association out there called OOIDA (Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association), you might want to get in touch with them regarding national support.

Question 7 Wednesday, January 26th, 2005 @ 12:00 am

Q.		Are there any regulations about idling an A.P.U.? This is still, in our case a diesel motor.

A.		To date there are no regulations regarding idling an APU in any state. That being said, CARB (California Air Resource Board) located in California, a state that is stringent about negative impacts on their air quality, are looking at regulating emissions on these small engines. Their agenda probably won’t be pushed through till 2010. Any users of this APU technology today and until then will be grand fathered in. So it will not affect you. Manufacturers of these small engines are also working to reduce the emissions, very much like what is happening with the Truck Engine Manufacturers in the Truck Market. There are many ways in reducing the engine emissions and the future will show what technologies each manufacturer uses.

Question 6 Wednesday, January 19th, 2005 @ 12:00 am

Q.		Are there any laws regarding idling in Ohio? I was quite surprized to see the one on the books in New Jersey. Also, is there an average fuel usage when idling?

A.		Referencing two qualified sources, I have found no state laws regarding idling in Ohio to date. I do know that there is a big push on by the Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate all idling in all states by 2015, so changes are coming. On average an idling truck burns 1 gallon of diesel fuel per hour. That is the truck idling at approx. 900 rpm, which is normal.

Question 5 Tuesday, January 18th, 2005 @ 12:00 am

Q.		Have the states or cities started inforcing these offenses or will there be a grace period in 2005?

A.		Some states are quite relaxed when it comes to the enforcement of the initiatives put forth within their state. However the fact is, these laws and regulations are in place right now and can be upheld by enforcement officers if they so do wish. These rules and regulations are complex and there are some exceptions to the rules. To my knowledge there are no grace periods. I know for a fact that fines have been and are being upheld in California, New York and New Jersey. These are being enforced by State Highway patrol and the Highway Transportation ministry. The best way to avoid it all together is abide by the rules within each state. Just don’t idle. Their are solutions in place.

Question 4 Thursday, January 6th, 2005 @ 12:00 am

Q.		How much Green House Gases does an average idling truck emit into ourenvironment and at what level in GHG’s do fuel fired heaters and APU’soffset this?

A.		An idling truck emits on average approx. 124.44 tonnes/yr of CO2 into our atmosphere, this number is based on a conservative truck idling 1,200 hrs/year for heat. A bunk heater can cut GHG emissions by 12 to 15 tonnes annually and APU’s can reduce GHG emissions by 16-19 tonnes.