Willis APU Keeps Truckers From Getting Burned
 
SPARKS, Nev., Feb. 7, 2007 — Many owner-operators will swelter this summer in their sleepers rather than idle their truck engines and dig deeper into their wallets to pay high fuel prices or huge fines.
 
But not Mike Krick.
 
The Medford, Ore-based owner-operator said he plans to sleep soundly in his Freightliner Century Class Condo sleeper, hardly breaking a sweat, and still save nearly $5,200 in fuel and maintenance costs thanks to the Willis Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).
 
As fuel prices peak as a result of market conditions and more local jurisdictions pass anti-idling restrictions to improve air quality, the Willis Auxiliary Power Unit, manufactured by Auxiliary Power Dynamics, offers an alternative with cooling and heating capacity that’s among the highest in the industry. It keeps truckers and their companies from being slapped with hefty fines for idling their truck engines since it provides auxiliary power as soon as the truck is parked. Its three-cylinder, 18-hp Kubota engine makes it quiet, powerful and inexpensive to maintain.
 
Krick said the Willis APU provides the same heating and cooling capacity as running his truck’s 500-hp, 14-liter Detroit Diesel engine.
 
“If I had to idle my truck to stay comfortable every night, by the end of the year, it would cost me more than $6,300 in fuel and maintenance costs,” Krick said.  
 
The Willis APU consumes less than a fifth of a gallon per hour, while his truck’s engine burns about a gallon per hour idling, Krick says. At those rates, Krick estimates that he saved about $5,175 in 2006, based on an average price of $2.51 per gallon.
 
Krick hauls building products, food, liquor and a variety of other consumer products under exclusive lease contract with TP  (Timber Products) Trucking of Central Point, Ore.: www.tptrucking.com. He runs his truck generally on the I-5 corridor from Seattle to Fresno, Calif. He also makes runs on other highways within a five-state region: Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, and Idaho. He drives between 2,200 and 2,500 miles per week and he works from Sunday afternoon to Friday evening. He’s usually home on the weekends.
 
“The Willis APU helps me not only save money, but also avoid downtime, keep my truck lit up for safety and visibility while it’s parked at night, reduce wear and tear on my truck engine and get much better sleep so I’m able to handle the stresses of driving a big rig,” Krick said. “I wake up refreshed ready to go and that’s really invaluable to me.”
 
Krick said he looked at several different APUs before choosing the Willis APU because of its quality components, its versatility, and its cooling capacity. Will Watson, vice president of sales and marketing, said there’s a reason why drivers like Krick choose the Willis APU. Standalone units use their own ducting, often taking up valuable space from the driver and providing air from only one vent, he said.
 
When technicians install the Willis APU, they hook up an exclusive fan drive system, which pulls an abundant amount of air across the truck’s large condenser and radiator through the truck’s own HVAC system ducting. So, the driver doesn’t give up valuable personal space and the air blows from all of the vents in the truck, not just one.
 
“That’s how the Willis APU can blow air that’s 40 degrees even when the temperature outside is over 100 degrees and the sun is beating down,” Watson said. “The Willis APU offers the highest cooling capacity in the industry, between 28,000 and 38,000 British thermal units or BTUs, because it’s integrated into the truck’s heating and cooling system.

“And because it’s integrated, drivers will get the same cooling capacity standing still as they would driving 60 mph down the highway,” Watson added.  

Watson said financing options are available, including a lease option that allows well-qualified owner-operators or fleets to get the Willis APU installed for little or no money down.

“Depending upon how much idling you or your drivers currently do, the amount of money you save in fuel costs may actually be more than your monthly lease payment,” he added.

For more information about the Willis APU, including a list of certified installation sites, visit www.willisapu.com or call 253-638-3145.