Drivers With APU's

After having an APU would you drive for a company that doesn't? I've narrowed my choices down to 3 companies but only one of them have APU's on the trucks.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Well I'm the wrong guy to answer that one because I never drove a truck with an APU. The only place I ever worried about not idling was California. Although my home state of New York has idling restrictions they never really enforce them.

I can only recall one company I worked for that offered a small bonus if you kept your idling time below a certain level but I decided I didn't care enough about the bonus to give up my comfort so I ignored it.

The overwhelming majority of trucks on the road don't have an APU but would you want to be without one once you were used to having one? That's the question. I don't know to be honest. I don't think it would matter much as long as you could idle enough to stay comfortable.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

I would contact the 2 non-apu companies and see what their idle policys are. Then you will have a better comparison.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

With my first company I didn't have an APU. Now I do, and let me tell ya. It's fantastic!

It's not a must, but it's a HUGE convenience and definitely makes you a lot more comfortable.

An APU charges the trucks batteries while the truck if off. If you were to use a blender with the truck off without an APU then the batteries would die quickly. But with an APU you're not limited.

What if you wanted to bring an xbox and TV with you for some video gaming? You can't do that with the truck off. Good luck idling for hours with the only thing on your mind is your idling %. Again, the APU will allow for endless hours of gameplay without worrying about idling or draining the batteries.

Most companies have an idling limit. Go above it and you'll be getting charged.

Remember, that's a % based on your driving time. So if I drove only 50 miles and now I have to idle for an hour, the idle % will be through the roof and you'll be paying. So you really have to keep your miles up up up to have any fighting chance of having low idling %.

But that's not all. The APU is also an air conditioner. I remember I was in Pheonix last summer and it was 107 degrees outside. I was at my maximum idling % so I had to spent the entire day in the truck stop. But now I can have a very nice AC at the push of a button.

It's not a must. But a HUGE convenience. Especially if you want to be cooking anything.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

I'll ask about that today, I always forget to ask something it seems. Some recruiters are calling multiple times a day. Except the ones I'm considering. Weird how that works.

Losing a small bonus to idle is something I could live with, it's the companies that charge you to idle I would want to avoid. Who can sleep if it's to hot, then have to drive after not sleeping.

I would contact the 2 non-apu companies and see what their idle policys are. Then you will have a better comparison.

I think that's key right there. Everything Daniel said is right on. But if the company isn't too restrictive on idling policy it won't matter too much either way. Also, the fuel bonuses companies give are usually very small. In the range of a penny or two a mile. Even if you're running 3000 miles a week that's a $30-$60 difference a week. I'm not about to sit around and be uncomfortable for $4-$8 a day difference. The heck with that. I'll save that extra few bucks some other way if I'm that worried about it.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Thanks Daniel, that's a big help.

I agree Brett, if I can idle to stay comfortable and it only cost me a small amount I would be ok with that. I got to get some questions answered now, hope the recruiters are honest about this.

With my first company I didn't have an APU. Now I do, and let me tell you. It's fantastic!

It's not a must, but it's a HUGE difference and definitely makes you are comfortable.

An APU charges the trucks batteries while the truck if off. If you were to use a blender with the truck off without an APU then the batteries would die quickly. But with an APU you're not limited.

What if you wanted to bring an xbox and TV with you for some video gaming? You can't do that with the truck off. Good luck idling for hours with the only thing on your mind is your idling %. Again, the APU will allow for endless hours of gameplay without worrying about idling or draining the batteries.

Most companies have an idling limit. Go above it and you'll be getting charged.

Remember, that's a % based on your driving time. So if I drove only 50 miles and now I have to idle for an hour, the idle % will be through the roof and you'll be paying. So you really have to keep your miles up up up to have any fighting chance of having low idling %.

But that's not all. The APU is also an air conditioner. I remember I was in Pheonix last summer and it was 107 degrees outside. I was at my maximum idling % so I had to spent the entire day in the truck stop. But now I can have a very nice AC at the push of a button.

It's not a must. But a HUGE convenience. Especially if you want to be cooking anything.

Being charged for idling by Central Refrigerated was a last ditch effort for them to try and cut out their fuel cost but in the end they still had to sell out to Swift Transport. Actually very few companies will charge the driver anything. Sure they will scream and bltch and moan about the high idling but that is all they can really do. I have worked for CR England and JB Hunt and now Werner Enterprises and they all want low idle % but being a team truck where someone is always sleeping the truck stays running.

And I am not positive but I think it would be illegal to charge the driver for idling unless the company provided another means to keep cool while rest or just sitting in the truck.

Now if it was stated in the orientation paper work that drivers would be charge a fee if they went over a certain amount of idle time well that is on the driver for signing a piece of paper. Even so I doubt a judge would up hold that since by law companies have to abide by federal law and that is to allow the driver to get a sleep period in of at least 10 hours of comfortable sleep. In the law it states no where that says the driver ,at the companies discretion, should be charge a fee to follow a law set forth by the federal government. Sounds like a class action lawsuit just waiting to happen.

Luckily enough Werner's 2015 trucks are all coming with APU's.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

• Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
• Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Almost forgot. A driver 3 trucks down from me today had to be taken to the hospital for carbon dioxide poisoning today while I was on my 30 minute break.

Turns out that his APU smoked so bad it woke up other drivers around him that were also daytime sleepers and when they complained he basically told them to get bent. They call the cops but there was not much done. About 15 minutes after I pulled in and parked the Pilot parking filled with 2 ambulances and 3 fire trucks and a few cop cars. Turns out someone got tired of breathing the smoke coming out of the guys APU that they routed a hose attached to the driver exhaust of the APU and tied it to the frame rail under the bunk of his truck.

If you ever have a APU that has a bad exhaust problem make sure to get it fixed OR don't park next to other people. I am not saying what those drivers did was right by any stretch of the imagination but I can see their point. Rather the guy that was causing the issue to die than kill 2 to 3 other drivers that were just trying to get some rest.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.