idling Wednesday, May 31st, 2006 @ 1:19 pm

Q.		What do you think of Truck Stop Electrification? There is a company that is installing an idling alternative in truck stops. Do you think this alternative is better or worse than others? What are the pros and cons? thanks

A.		TSE serves it’s purpose, however it has its limitations, first that, it is a stationary alternative, it does not go where the truck goes, the truck has to go to it; which brings me to the next point; there are over 1.8 million Class 6 & 7 vehicles on the road and over 2.4 million Class 8 vehicles on the road in which 1/2 million + have sleepers, there are only so many parking spots out there so you have jockey for position to get one of the parking spots that have TSE. As an alternative to idling I think it is a good thing and it is as good as any other solution out there. Pro’s are that it provides both heat & cool with many of the amenities of home (in some cases) like telephone connection, internet etc. It is relatively cheap depending on the package that you buy. Cons are that it is stationary and that there are only so many parking spaces outfitted with them. It is costly to produce electricity and that is the source which powers them.

anti idling solutions Monday, May 15th, 2006 @ 2:36 pm

Q.		are there wireles anti-idling solutions and if so what are they?

A.		I’m not sure if I’m interpreting your question correctly but I’ll take a stab at it. There are ways via satellite to monitor the run times and idling times of trucks. Most fleets today have some sort of Satellite tracking system. These same systems can monitor the idling times and shut down the truck either manually or automatically after set parameters are entered. Espar Heaters although hard wired to the batteries can be switched on with remote devices like key fobs; additionally these same heaters can be pre-programmed to come on at desired days and times. So, I believe the answer to question is “YES” there are wireless technologies out there.