Trucking research group selects 3 carriers to evaluate APUs

The Trucker News Services

5/23/2006

Trucking research group selects 3 carriers to evaluate APUs

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has announced the selection of three project teams to demonstrate and evaluate mobile idle reduction technologies on heavy-duty trucks.

An ATRI official said the use of these technologies should allow truck drivers to rest in comfort while the truck’s engine is shut off, noting that the demonstration is being funded as part of a grant program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership to help promote technologies that save fuel while also reducing pollution.  The year-long data collection effort will document engine idle times with and without the use of the selected idle reduction technologies.

The selected project teams will be led by the following trucking companies:

Diversified Transfer and Storage (DTS). Headquartered in Billings, Mont., the company provides truckload and less-than-truckload services throughout the U. S.  DTS will be evaluating an auxiliary power unit manufactured by RigMaster Power Corporation.

National Freight, Inc. (NFI). Headquartered in Vineland, N. J., NFI provides nationwide truckload, over-the-road, dedicated, intermodal, brokerage, and specialized transportation services.  NFI will be evaluating an APU manufactured by Teleflex Energy Systems.

Schneider National Inc. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Schneider National provides nationwide truckload services, including one-way, intermodal, dedicated, bulk and specialized service.  Schneider National will be evaluating two separate air conditioning systems, a Bergstrom 12-volt system and a Webasto thermal storage system, operated in conjunction with a Webasto cab heater.

The ATRI official said successful demonstration and evaluation of these idle reduction technologies would provide truck owners with a better understanding of the costs and benefits associated with the use of these technologies.