Making an informed decision about the best idle reduction (IR) solution for your fleet is much easier than it used to be thanks in part to the availability of good comparative information from agencies and organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s calculator, designed to help you determine the costs and benefits of installing various idle reduction solutions ( www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/TA/361.pdf). The EPA’s SmartWay Partnership, which offers a detailed overview of most available idle reduction systems, including operating characteristics, cost, weight, installation time, warranties and other useful information (www.epa.gov/otaq/smartway/idlingtechnologies.htm) is another good place to begin exploring the options.
advertisement
ASK THE EXPERTS
For buyers who want a hands-on, side-by-side look at the actual equipment, the Cascade Sierra Solutions “outreach center” at the TravelCenters of America travel plaza in Coburg, OR is a great place to visit (www.cascadesierrasolutions.org). There you can see 40 or more systems on display and get personal help deciding which best fits your application and your budget.
Suppliers themselves are also providing not only more and better systems, but also more and better consulting services. Links to many are listed below. All of the systems here are available as aftermarket products and some truck manufacturers are also offering certain units (separately or in combination) installed on new trucks as optional equipment:
blog comments powered by Disqus
