| Farm Products Hauler Reduces Truck Idling by 94 Percent Two Months After Installing Willis APUs
WALKERTON, Ontario, Oct. 30, 2006 — When Little Rock Farm Trucking’s long-haul drivers need to sleep or wait for their trucks to be loaded, they won’t have to idle their truck engines to stay warm in the bitter freezing cold of winter or to keep cool in the wilting heat of summer.
The Walkerton, Ontario-based trucking company earlier this year bought and installed 21 auxiliary power units (APUs) manufactured by Auxiliary Power Dynamics for its newer model long-haul trucks. The agricultural and automotive parts hauler and its owner-operators run about 60 power units, mostly long haul trucks. Since the company finished installing the APUs on 21 of its newer long haul trucks in June, it has seen its engine idling time dwindle from about 50 percent of operating hours to about 8 percent.
And that’s meant considerable savings in fuel costs — about $417 (U.S. currency) per month per truck, or a total of about $8,750 per month for all 21 trucks. That savings, which takes into consideration the Willis APU’s low operating cost, is due in large measure to its high cooling and heating capacity.
When factory-trained technicians install the Willis APU, they hook up an exclusive fan drive system, which blows plentiful air across the truck’s large condenser and radiator through the truck’s HVAC system ducting. That’s how the Willis APU can offer between 28,000 and 38,000 British thermal units or BTUs of cooling capacity and about 25,000 BTUs of heating capacity, among the highest in the industry. With that available high capacity, company drivers don’t have to idle their engines to get warm or to stay cool.
“Before we got the Willis APUs installed, our drivers were not only wasting a lot of fuel to keep warm or to stay cool, but they were also putting a lot of wear and tear on the truck engines,” said John Reuber, maintenance manager. “By installing the Willis APU on our new trucks, our drivers can enjoy the same amount of heating and cooling capacity they got while idling their trucks, and our company can expect to get more longevity out of the truck engines.”
The Willis APU dramatically reduces idling by also providing auxiliary power as soon as the truck is parked. Its three-cylinder, 18-hp Kubota engine makes it quiet, powerful and inexpensive to maintain. At 350 pounds, it’s also one of the lowest-weight APUs on the market.
Besides 21 newer models, the company owns another 20 power units. Some of those other units are day cabs as well as straight trucks that run on local routes, but most are long-haul trucks that will be replaced within two years, Reuber added. The company plans to install Willis APUs on all its new long haul trucks, he said. Eventually all of the company’s long haul drivers will be driving power units with the Willis APUs installed.
Little Rock drivers, plus a contingent of 20 contracted owner-operators, move both full truckload and less-than-truckload shipments throughout Canada and the United States. They specialize in temperature-controlled commodities, including horticultural products and various food products. They also pick up live poultry from farms in Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, and Ohio, and haul them to processing plants in Canada. And they haul other farm products in dry vans and refrigerated units plus automotive parts to the United States from Canada. A typical load originating in Canada may have as many as 30 drops in the United States. Reuber, who, along with his brother, Mark, co-own Little Rock, estimates that each of his company’s long haul trucks travel about 115,000 miles per year.
Just three months after installation, the Willis APUs have already become a big hit with Little Rock drivers like Matt Hunter, who’s been with the company for 2 ½ years.
“I was one of the first ones to get a Willis APU installed,” Hunter said. “And I’ve noticed that by running the APU instead of idling the truck engine, we’re not only getting incredible fuel savings, but also it’s quieter and there’s less vibration through the cab, which can make it easier to get to sleep.”
Reuber said he liked the placement and the design of the Willis APU. Other APUs have condensers installed on the back of the truck cab where they can be difficult to access and where they can get damaged. But the Willis APU is installed in an area that’s easily accessible for maintenance and where it’s not as likely to get damaged, he added.
“I also like that the Willis APU is integrated into the truck,” he said.
Integration means that the Willis APU microprocessor is attached to the truck engine’s sensors. This allows the Willis APU to monitor and maintain engine temperature and battery voltage so drivers don’t have to worry about dead batteries. Auxiliary Power Dynamics works closely with all major truck manufacturers to make sure that when its trained technicians install the Willis APU, their work meets their strictest standards and won’t interfere with the truck’s operation.
“Before we decided to get the Willis APU, we did look at a few other options,” Reuber said. “We considered getting some simple heating units, but after looking closely at the idling times on our trucks, we determined that our drivers spend a lot more time idling their trucks to stay cool than to get warm.”
Reuber said he expects the day will come soon when APUs become standard equipment for all long haul trucks.
“Because to a certain degree once drivers have something like that, then they’ll all want to have it,” he added. “And I think installing APUs with the kind of capacity that the Willis APU offers will be important for recruiting and retaining the best drivers.”
For more information about the Willis APU, call 253-638-3145.
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