Reducing Idling Emissions

Anyone who has driven on interstate highways knows big rigs idle overnight while their drivers sleep. The trucks are kept running to heat and cool the cab and sleeper, mask noises, keep the fuel warm in winter, avoid cold starting and for personal safety.

Instead of letting their engines idle, operators may want to consider using separate devices for cab heating and cooling and engine block warming. Devices on the market include direct-fired burners for cab and engine-block heating, thermal storage devices for heating and cooling and auxiliary power units for heating, cooling and electrical power.

Typically, these devices consume less fuel than a truck diesel engine. Actual savings will depend greatly on individual circumstances. Operators can figure their own savings by using a worksheet available from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

For more information, visit the U.S. DOE's Reducing Heavy Vehicle Idling Web site.

Published: March 31, 2003