VANCOUVER, British
Columbia, Sept. 25, 2013 - In Joe Egan’s office, a framed picture shows a
long-haul tractor, or more precisely, its charred remains.
“It’s not one of our
trucks, but it illustrates what can happen when an electrical fire is caused by
a bad inverter installation,” he said. “It gives a visual reminder to any
driver who comes into my office what can happen if an inverter isn’t installed
correctly.”
As director of
maintenance for Richmond, Va.,-based Abilene Motor Express, a 350 tractor
fleet, Egan said inverters have long been a popular addition to the fleet’s
trucks.
“Drivers have always
wanted the comforts of home and AC power is at the top of the list. If
you’re on the road, you want to be able to plug in a TV, laptop or microwave,”
said Egan. “Plus, several of our drivers use CPAP machines. Prior to 2009, we
were allowing our drivers to install their own inverters, but that became an
increasingly difficult situation for our company. We were worried about poor
installations – thus the picture on my wall – plus when they moved to another
truck they would want to pull out the inverter and reinstall it in the new
truck. That was a headache for them as well as for us. So, in 2009, we changed
our policy and decided to have inverter/chargers factory-installed with each
new truck order. That ensured a proper installation and gave drivers what they
wanted. It’s been a great decision.”
According to Egan, the
company runs a mix of tractors – Volvo VN780s, the new Kenworth T680, some
Freightliners and Macks. Each truck maker offers Xantrex inverter and
inverter/chargers ranging in power from 1,000 to 1,800 watts. Each is rated at
double their power for “surge” power (the power needed for the initial load
when a microwave turns on for example). Plus, they are equipped with a
low-voltage disconnect (LVD) to shut down the inverter, once the system detects
low-battery power. This safeguard preserves the starting power in the battery.
According to Steve
Carlson, OEM sales manager for Xantrex, when it comes to getting even more from
inverters, many fleets are gaining extra “staying-on” power by installing
dedicated deep-cycle batteries. “They’ll add additional cost, but unlike a
starting battery, they can be deep discharged with no less impact on battery
life, and the LVD can be set to 10.5 volts versus 11.8,” he said. “In many
cases, the driver can go a full rest-period without worry of running out of
power. We also recommend the dedicated batteries when drivers are using medical
equipment, such as CPAP machines to ensure they have enough power for their
sleep schedule.”
At Gordon Trucking,
based in Pacific, Wash., inverter/chargers are also a must-have. The
company uses Thermo King TriPac APUs on all its long-haul trucks to provide
auxiliary heating (via bunk heater) and air conditioning. The APU also features
a Xantrex 1800-watt system, for hotel power loads.
“A quality inverter is
very important within that system,” said Kirk Altrichter, vice president of
Gordon Trucking. “In earlier APUs we were running, an off-shore brand inverter
was used, and it gave us nothing but trouble. When the inverter went out, that
meant our drivers couldn’t use hotel loads in the cab and sleeper. So, we were
very pleased that our new TriPac units were equipped with the Xantrex inverter
– we haven’t had a problem whatsoever and that’s been big for us, and for our
drivers. I can tell you that offering AC power to our drivers is a huge retention
factor for us. It does make a difference.”
With the TriPac APU,
Gordon Trucking uses four AGM batteries which the inverter converts to AC power
for all the truck’s hotel loads. Once the system detects the battery bank needs
recharging, the APU automatically fires up to recharge the batteries. Once the
batteries are topped off, the APU shuts down.
Since Gordon Trucking’s
inverters come with the TriPac system, the long-haul trucking company is set
for power conversion. But for fleets that don’t have inverters integrated into
their APUs, Altrichter has some words of wisdom. “With inverters, you truly get
what you pay for,” he said. “Installation is also critical, you have to have
the right wiring to match the amperage draw -- it doesn’t take much to burn
down a truck. In the early days, we saw the problem with drivers
installing inverters themselves, so we decided back in 2006 that our trucks
should have inverters – we wanted to provide them with AC power and we wanted
the installation done professionally.”
According to Carlson,
proper installation and a quality inverter go hand-in-hand. “Most inverters you
find at a truck stop are not UL approved,” he said. “And that’s where most
inverters are purchased. I can tell you unequivocally, that it is worth the
extra cost to buy an inverter with a ‘Regulatory Listed’ approval – such as UL
or ETL with UL458 rating. This means the inverter was inspected and approved by
an independent agency, which safeguards against issues with electricity. UL458
is the listing for inverters and chargers in mobile applications. They must
meet strict vibration, environmental, and thermal requirements to be approved
for that listing.”
About Xantrex
Technology
Xantrex Technology, a
subsidiary of Schneider Electric, is a world leader in the development,
manufacturing and marketing of advanced power electronic products and systems
for the mobile power markets. The company’s products convert and control raw
electrical power from any central, distributed, renewable, or backup power
source into high-quality power required by electronic equipment. Xantrex is
headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with facilities in the United States. www.xantrex.com
About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist
in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider
Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including
leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes,
building automation, and data centers/networks, as well as a broad presence in
residential applications. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, and
efficient, the company's 110,000 plus employees achieved sales of 19.6 billion
euros in 2010, through an active commitment to help individuals and
organizations “Make the most of their energy.”
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