Author - apuadmin

14 Oct

The Need for Auxiliary Power Units in School Buses

The reduction of idling times is a crucial component when discussing long-haul trucks and semis. But another area where this is important is when discussing school buses. The benefits of installing auxiliary power units in school buses are tenfold. Not only do you save gas, money, and energy – you also keep children safe from inhaling toxic fumes that come from idling. There are several situations where school bus drivers must wait for extended periods of times. Therefore, it’s crucial that an APU is installed to reduce unnecessary idling.

Save gas, money, and energy.

When waiting at bus stops, at school when it’s the end of the day, or during sports games – school bus drivers often have to wait on students. If the school bus were to remain idling during these times, it would cost the school district copious amounts of gas and money to keep the bus up and running. Luckily, with APUs, basic school bus functions like air conditioner, radio, and door functionality can still work without burning fuel.

Protect young lungs.

Children’s lungs are still in the developmental phases when they are around school buses – even well into high school. Inhaling the fumes from idling fuel burning would be detrimental to the development of their lungs. This could lead to harmful results in the future.

If you are a member of a school district looking to make the important jump to installing only auxiliary power units in school buses, we can help with the purchase and installation. Get in touch today.

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14 Sep

The ELD Mandate: How Will It Affect You?

What is the ELD Mandate?

Essentially, this new mandate requires drivers to utilize an ELD (Electronic Logging Device) to keep track of their hours. This rule is in place to create a better system for accurately tracking the number of hours a driver is on the road. Previously, with paper logs, there was the concern that hours could be mistakenly tracked and drivers could be on the road much longer than necessary. The current rule states that for every 11 hours you drive, you must take 10 hours off.

How will it affect idling times?

With this new rule in place, there’s no getting around the necessary 10 hours of downtime. While you do not have to stay in your truck for those entire 10 hours, most drivers use this time to sleep or relax in their bunk. If the truck were to idle for these 10 hours of downtime, fuel and energy costs may pile up. In addition, idling laws are always changing – oftentimes, states will prevent idling for long periods of time.

What can I do?

An alternative to idling is utilizing an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit). This unit will allow you to turn off your engine during downtime, while still maintaining access to heat, air conditioning, internet, and other services in your truck that require power. By using an APU instead of idling, you can stay up-to-code with the new ELD Mandate and enjoy all the road has to offer.

 

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14 Aug

Idling Trucks Engines vs. Running an APU. Which Works Better For You?

As a trucker or being in the fleet industry, you must have come across some discussions like, “idling truck engine vs running an APU”. In this article, we will discuss the same. In order to get into a valid discussion, first, we need to know the exact situation that occurs in idling and running an APU.

Idling is a state in which, the engine runs but there is no movement of the truck. But, running an APU stops the engine and keeps the other electrical functions active. Now, let us compare both the situations.

In idling engines, the engine runs and there is some fuel consumption. But, APUs are available in fuel and electric variants. Even though you are using a fuel consuming APU, the fuel consumed is low as compared to the idling truck engine.

Here, the APU can be a better choice. The same applies to the wear and tear of the engine and its maintenance cost. When the engine is idling, it is still working. Therefore, there will be more maintenance cost and wear and tear. Thus, it is better to use an APU instead of idling. APU Center provides many high-quality APU products for trucks. You can pick the one best for your needs.

 

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14 Jul

Long Haul Trucks Should Have a Battery-Powered APU

As a truck driver, you are always trying to save fuel and conserve energy in your truck. Every bit of fuel counts when driving for long periods at a time. What if your truck’s horsepower engine could automatically sense that you no longer need power to the drivetrain and will reduce power to just the cab and sleeper? This is possible if you install a battery-powered APU.

A battery-powered Auxiliary Power Unit is encouraged for driving long trips or across the country. The APU captures energy produced by the truck engine alternator and stores it in an independent battery bank which is powered by a battery. After the engine is shut off, the stored energy can be used to:

  • Keep the engine warm
  • Power 120v devices like televisions, microwaves, and other daily necessities
  • Power A/C and heating throughout your truck

 

APU Center sells new, used and refurbished auxiliary power units and battery-powered units including their parts. Buy a brand name APU from our eBay store, then come pick up your unit at our store and we’ll install it for you. So if you’re ready to start saving energy and fuel cost, then give us a call today and we can help you find which APU will work best for your truck.

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14 Jun

What You Need to Know About ELD

Now that 2018 is officially in full effect, the FMCSA’s final ELD rule is also in full effect. Over three million trucking companies and their drivers are still working on reaching compliance, even after the deadline has passed and it’s important for every trucking company to be up-to-speed with E-logs and how they work. According to ELDFacts.com,

“an ELD is an electronic solution that enables professional truck drivers and commercial motor carriers to easily track Hours of Service (HOS) compliance. All CDL drivers required to keep a Record of Duty Status (RODS) must use an ELD to document their compliance with HOS rules. The new ELD rule adds certain technical and performance specifications that define exactly what the device must feature.”

 

By this time, it’s important for motor carriers, whether big or small, to be ELD compliant to avoid any penalty fees that may arise for companies that do not comply with this new rule. Having an APU generator can benefit companies during the ELD compliance, due to their design to conserve resources, saving drivers money and helping to maintain the life of the truck’s engine, especially since ELD requires a certain amount of downtime now. For used APU generators, be sure to visit our eBay store through our website.

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14 May

Why APUs are Necessary for Your Trucking Company

  • Less maintenance
  • Save energy
  • Conserve fuel
  • Compact design
  • Up to a 5 year warranty

 

That’s what APUs for trucks can do for trucking companies and their drivers. The maintenance for trucks, especially the wide loads, can be very expensive in order to keep one intact for a good amount of time and that’s where APU units for trucks come into play. Idling laws change without a moment’s notice, so it’s important to stay informed and have an APU while also keeping it up to date.

In recent years, idling laws have cost trucking companies tons of money due to fines. Idling law requires 10 hours of rest to every 11 hours of driving. During down time, drivers often leave their trucks idling, which can easily cause unnecessary costs due to wasting fuel and wear and tear on the engine. That’s no good. Per worktruckonline.com,

“APUs enable truck fleets to substantially reduce fuel costs while still powering the amenities and tools drivers and crews need to perform their jobs most productively.”

 

On the flip side, APUs can be very expensive. Truck owners shouldn’t have to spend a ton of cash on something that trucks need. The APU center specializes in selling and purchasing new and old APU generators. Our company has a great eBay page where truckers can find good quality used APUs for sale at affordable prices. Be sure to contact us with any questions you may have about the APUs we have for sale.

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14 Apr

Idling Laws at a Glance

Idling laws vary by state and a majority of the time, because of these laws, truck companies end up spending loads of money. But first, what is idling you ask? Vehicle idling happens when a vehicle is left running when it’s still in park. Did you know that idling can use up to a gallon of fuel within an hour’s time? Idling also increases the carbon footprint, therefore, the idling laws came about. In California, the maximum idling time is 5 minutes with a fine minimum of $50, while in Colorado, the maximum idling time is 5 minutes within any 1 hour with a maximum fine of $1,000 and/or 1 year imprisonment.

Map showing idling laws by state

Truck companies suffer and pay the most money for these idling fines when owners don’t invest in APUs for trucks. Having a generator for every truck a fleet company has is important due to the fact that an APU allows drivers to turn off their engines and still enjoy the comforts of utilities that require the engine to be in order to still operate. By investing in an APU generator, truck companies no longer have to worry about idling laws and they’re saving money on fuel as well.

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14 Mar

New Year, New E-Logs

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration turned the trucking industry on its head in December of 2015. The final ELD rule now requires electronic logging (a.k.a e-logs) devices for trucks with a 2000 or newer model year. As of December 17th, this is something interstate truck drivers must do. Although this is a drastic change that may help trucking companies in the long run, with new ventures comes preparation.

With 2018 being just around the corner, a great way to make sure your drivers have an easy E-log transition is to secure a new or used APU generator for trucks. If you’re familiar with APUs then you know that it allows drivers to stay comfortable during idling times. According to truckinginfo.com,

“the most common mistake fleets make when adopting ELDs is trying to do it too quickly…It takes time to select a good system that is a match for your fleet, develop the compliance culture necessary to operate in the electronic logging universe, train everyone in how to use the system, and roll it out in an orderly fashion.”

If you haven’t at least looked into investing in some new APU generators, we highly suggest doing so now that the ELD rule is in full swing.

 

For affordable and reliable APU for trucks, be sure to visit our ebay store via our homepage.

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14 Feb

Why Truck Companies Need to Conserve Fuel

Truck driving is expensive within itself, especially when a majority of truck companies’ vehicles are traveling cross country. But how do you give drivers their comfort while driving without compromising luxuries such as heat, air conditioning, cooking and even watch T.V during their long trips, while also saving costs on fuel? Did you know there’s a way for drivers to still have their luxuries and keep their engine off? APU generators for trucks is the key and have proven to be money savers in the trucking industry for some time now.

However, it can be quite a task to find a budget friendly APU that lasts for years to come. Luckily, just like everything else in this world that you can find refurbished for a good price, it’s possible to find a used APU for sale.

At APU Center, We pride ourselves in having budget friendly Quality APU’s from brands like Thermo King Tripac, Thermo King Evolution, Rigmaster Power, Dynasys APU, Carrier APU, HP2000 APU, CCS Lightning, Cummins Comfort Guard APU, and some other brands as well. These Used/Reconditioned Apu’s reduce fuel and operating cost of any truck and can provide house power for appliances. With our APUs, within a year you can save enough fuel that the cost pays for itself, And stay comfortable all year round.

Learn more about idling laws via our homepage and contact us with any questions you may have.

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