Heavy Duty Trucking, September 2018

WE DONT JUST PROVIDE YOU OIL WE BRING YOU SOLUTIONS Were ready to go to work for your eet SEE HOW Visit HD Valvoline com or call 1 800 TEAM VAL When youre committed to Valvoline were committed to you Thats the way weve operated for more than 150 years not just a supplier but a true partner who understands the ins and outs of your eet Every Valvoline Heavy Duty engine oil grease uid and coolant is formulated for durability ef ciency and performance US CF 2657 EN 2018 Vavoline 6 18 Trademark Valvoline or its subsidiaries registered in various countries SEPTEMBER 2018 HDT 41 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM NACFE Solar panels feasible for trucks and trailers Solar power makes sense for many commercial trucks and in many applications an investment in the right equipment can be paid back in roughly three years says the North American Council for Freight Efficiency in its latest Confidence Report Solar for Tractors and Trailers issued June 28 Solar panels cost has come down and efficiency has increased and they are especially useful for sleeper cab tractors Solar power can run electric HVAC systems in sleepers thus reducing engine idling during overnight breaks But they dont save a lot of fuel said NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth The savings comes from battery health Panels can extend the life of the battery and the cost of replacement as well as reduce service calls on the road Solar power helps a trucks alternator keep batteries charged and ready for use to operate heating air conditioning and house loads from dusk to dawn And drivers report that the panels begin generating electricity first thing in the morning You do take some wear off the alternator as youre going down the road charging said Kevin Otto a retired Cummins electronics engineer A 300 watt panel during an eight or nine hour period is worth an extra battery in power storage You can figure that batteries will have a couple of hours more operating life So there are fewer call outs for batteries and you do get longer battery life Panels are now thin and flexible enough to mount on curved surfaces so can be affixed to roof air deflectors and even on hoods Theres much more room on van and reefer trailers to place panels where they are used primarily to charge batteries in reefer units and for lift gates and pallet jacks Reefer unit makers offer panels that help keep batteries charged so engines can start every time theyre needed to run refrigeration equipment Lift gates use a very large amount of power for a very short amount of time Otto said There are different sizes and capacities and you need to size your batteries to the lift gate Tom Berg as well McCarthy said Once a truck reaches highway speeds the same advantages that make displacement on demand so successful in gasoline engines would come into play for diesel trucks Once a truck is at cruise speeds we believe cylinder deactivation could give fleets a 40 boost in fuel economy in that specific operating mode McCarthy said And I think that number could be boosted even more with smart variable displacement systems that are fully integrated into intelligent and smart cruise control systems Today for example a smart cruise system simply shifts the transmission into Neutral to save fuel while coasting down a grade With smart cylinder technology youd not only shift the transmission into Neutral youd also shut down all the engine cylinders to eliminate any parasitic horsepower loss then bring the cylinders back on line as the grade flattens out and the engines need for additional horsepower increases And you could add all the cylinders at once or bring them online in sequence depending on the situation