Fuel for thought.
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From: MidWest
Fuel for thought.
Ive read many questions about or related to letting our trucks idle.
I just read this and thought I'd pass it along, keeping in mind that this report comes from a web page that is designed for the OTR guys, but the numbers are interesting anyway.
See the rest of the article HERE
Rich
I just read this and thought I'd pass it along, keeping in mind that this report comes from a web page that is designed for the OTR guys, but the numbers are interesting anyway.
Idle Thoughts
Idling alternatives that save money, the environment
by Paul Abelson
Unnecessary idling wastes fuel.That's a hard statement to argue with. According to Department of Energy (DOE) figures, the amount of fuel burned doing virtually no work is more than 875 million gallons annually. At a conservative $1.45 per gallon, that costs the long-haul segment of our industry $1,268,750,000 annually.
Bringing that down to the individual truck, just six extra hours of idling per day, six days a week for 48 weeks will burn 1,728 gallons, assuming only one gallon per hour. That could be costing you more than $2,500 extra per year.
What could you do with an extra $2,500? You could invest in an auxiliary power unit or a fuel-fired heater system. You can add an inverter-charger to take advantage of the increasing number of truckstops that are electrifying parking areas so trucks can plug in. With these devices performing the tasks you would otherwise idle your engine for, you'll not only save fuel, but also wear and tear on your $25,000 to $35,000 engine.
Idling alternatives that save money, the environment
by Paul Abelson
Unnecessary idling wastes fuel.That's a hard statement to argue with. According to Department of Energy (DOE) figures, the amount of fuel burned doing virtually no work is more than 875 million gallons annually. At a conservative $1.45 per gallon, that costs the long-haul segment of our industry $1,268,750,000 annually.
Bringing that down to the individual truck, just six extra hours of idling per day, six days a week for 48 weeks will burn 1,728 gallons, assuming only one gallon per hour. That could be costing you more than $2,500 extra per year.
What could you do with an extra $2,500? You could invest in an auxiliary power unit or a fuel-fired heater system. You can add an inverter-charger to take advantage of the increasing number of truckstops that are electrifying parking areas so trucks can plug in. With these devices performing the tasks you would otherwise idle your engine for, you'll not only save fuel, but also wear and tear on your $25,000 to $35,000 engine.
Rich
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From: Richmond Michigan
The one comparisson that I would like to see is that if we use electric to plug in and keep the vehical warm then what is the cost of the fuel to produce that energy? If in a cold climate we shut down then does it mean that those that must be on the road will have to be housed in some other fashion? What is the cost of the fuel to heat the hotel rooms to facilitate these shut downs? There in fact may be some considerable savings maybe not, regarless of the difference we need to weigh in on both sides to see>
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From: FL
Originally posted by skeeter
how about buying a new starter for all those extra starts
how about buying a new starter for all those extra starts
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From: Montana
A lot of the OTR truck lines are now putting in a device that only lets the truck idle for a certain amount of time before shutting down. I think Calif has either made it illegal or is talking about fines for trucks idling at the truck stops and rest areas.
A single cylinder gas generator is all that's need to keep the cab cool/warm, no need to idle an 6 or 8 cylinder diesel. Some of the those little generators will run 8 hours on two gallons of gasoline.
A single cylinder gas generator is all that's need to keep the cab cool/warm, no need to idle an 6 or 8 cylinder diesel. Some of the those little generators will run 8 hours on two gallons of gasoline.
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