Trucking Companies With APU

I swear, most days I don't even have the time and/or the energy to use my laptop. I've had mine with me my entire time and never once used it, I just use my IPhone. When you're busy you work all day and pass out, at least I do. I usually start driving 3-6am, I'd rather get a little more sleep to make sure I won't be drowsy while driving when it's dark.

Even without an APU you'll be able to idle so that you're comfortable 95% of the time.

My new truck that was just issued to me this week will only idle if the Temp is above 80 and or below 15. there is an extra battery pack to run heat, ac, lights or anything you've got to plug in. Once the battery volts drop to a certain level you'll start losing power for those items that are drawing on the power. Now my trainers truck, only 2years older an international-mine is a freightliner, will idle if the volts drops. Usually it would turn on once a night for about 10mins, no longer than 20. the company is going away from the APU's because they caused more issues and were not cost effective. So no using a microwave, TV, plug in cooler, laptop, have your interior lights on and charge your phone. Its all about the money!!! and with diesel so expensive now... someone is going to lose out.

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.

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.

Hey Steve B, which company do you work for?

I swear, most days I don't even have the time and/or the energy to use my laptop. I've had mine with me my entire time and never once used it, I just use my IPhone. When you're busy you work all day and pass out, at least I do. I usually start driving 3-6am, I'd rather get a little more sleep to make sure I won't be drowsy while driving when it's dark.

Ditto. I had an apu in my cascadia. It died in denver in January. Every truckstop sells inverters that are more than adequate for laptops for 30 bucks that plug into 12v cigarette receptacle. Have a prostar now that has a bunk heater/cooler. Haven't needed it much since I'm running in the southeast exclusively. in cdl school I was really worried about apu vs. No apu, only to get rolling and discover that it was a tempest in a teacup.

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.

As a newbie doing his homework I am confussed about the issue of APU's. Have seen the ATRI list of Idle Laws by state and see that 5 minutes an hour is about tops. Most do not specify heat/cold exceptions. You fellows are saying go ahead and idle when necessary, which seems to contradict. Do I really need an APU to run appliances ? Or will battery power handle most needs ? If my batteries are going low will I see the problem before it becomes too low to start the motor ?

I swear, most days I don't even have the time and/or the energy to use my laptop. I've had mine with me my entire time and never once used it, I just use my IPhone. When you're busy you work all day and pass out, at least I do. I usually start driving 3-6am, I'd rather get a little more sleep to make sure I won't be drowsy while driving when it's dark.

Ditto. I had an apu in my cascadia. It died in denver in January. Every truckstop sells inverters that are more than adequate for laptops for 30 bucks that plug into 12v cigarette receptacle. Have a prostar now that has a bunk heater/cooler. Haven't needed it much since I'm running in the southeast exclusively. in cdl school I was really worried about apu vs. No apu, only to get rolling and discover that it was a tempest in a teacup.

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.

Anyone know trucking companies with APU's installed?

Go to their websites. Most will tell you if they have APU's but you will have to go look it up.

Listen here GUY, I have and I'm still looking they are hard to find. The only one I've found so far is Lessor. Please don't reply just to reply, at least state something useful. An APU is one of my many priorities because I'm a tech junky and need my PC non Laptop or Tablet for internet use. If I can get good miles with a company, get paid on time and have good benefits and they also happen to offer an APU. Why not choose them.

I am sorry if my answer was not to your liking. What info we have here about companies come from their websites or by calling them. As has been said picking a company because of them having apu's is not priority for 99% of the drivers here therefore its not something we focus on and for someone looking for info we don't have we tell them all the time that they will need to look at their websites or call them to ask those type of questions.

So the answer I gave was not flippant or trying to be a butt. I was trying to tell you its not something that is important to us when choosing a company and I was directing you towards the people that would know the facts about their company.

Now if you were more specific with your question like "I don't want to look up the info if someone else has already done it...." Then I would have given you a much more "wordy" answer basically saying the same thing I have said in this post. But out of all those that responded to this post have said the same thing just in different ways.

If we can make a list of companies that test hair for drugs on this forum, surely we could make a list of companies that have APU's. I think the original poster has a legitimate question.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

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.

I haven't driven a big rig yet, but we RV'd a lot and dry camped on batteries enough to know about batteries and inverters. A relatively small inverter will keep the electronics charged or in use. I have auxiliary batteries for my iPhone and iPad. If I had a laptop I'd get a new one with all digital drive and new technology scree. They are power misers. Also, use an inverter while running to charge or get a DC charger specifically for the laptop. Trucktographer took his laptop, mostly for field editing photos and I'm not sure he's used it yet. Oh, and our iPhones are hotspots so we aren't just tied to truck stop Wi-Fi. My wife uses our Samsung laptop and occasionally her work Fujitsu when we travel. We fire up the hotspot and plug in the phone to car power as this feature will suck a phone battery dry in a very short time. An APU would be useful, but a broke APU is just extra weight I can use for fuel.

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.

Extremely odd Post, Bump!

Celadon

They allow idling if necessary. They don't allow unnecessary idling. Fuel is expensive.

Celadon

They allow idling if necessary. They don't allow unnecessary idling. Fuel is expensive.

This is why an APU was important for me. I have a dog with me and when I go for a shower or am out of the truck for any reason I can run the APU and not worry that my dog is going to die of a heat stroke. I'm allowed to run the APU as much as I want, and for about 4 months straight I ran it anytime the truck was stopped.

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.