The Associated Press State & Local Wire
March 6, 2006 Monday
Iowa trucking companies feel pressure to reduce idling
By DAVID DeWITTE
CEDAR RAPIDS Iowa
Many ask the question silently as they pass rows of idling trucks in highway rest areas or
truck stops: "Why is the engine running?"
The question is now being asked out loud by regulators and trucking companies.
Idling rigs burn more than 1 billion gallons of diesel a year, according to estimates from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They spew more than 11 million tons of
carbon dioxide emissions, 180,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions and 5,000 tons of
particulate pollutants annually.
Air quality and noise concerns have prompted at least 18 states and many local
governments to regulate idling. The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, banned idling at its
stores after running afoul of regulators in two states.
Idling regulations are few in Iowa, where air pollution has not reached the critical point
and trucking companies are an important, influential and growing part of the economy.
But even here, idling is becoming a front-burner issue. Sky-high diesel prices and new
federal regulations requiring drivers to obtain regular rest are leaving a bigger dent from
idling in trucking company profits.
"It is not necessarily an air quality issue for us in Iowa as much as it is an economic
issue," said Dennis Kroeger, transportation research specialist at Iowa State
University's Center for Transportation Excellence.
Efforts to reduce idling "will help keep the bottom line healthy at trucking companies, and
there are a lot of them in Iowa," Kroeger said.
Anti-idling strategies vary widely among companies.
West Side Transport, of Cedar Rapids, installed auxiliary heaters on more than 300
trucks to ensure drivers can stay warm without idling. The heaters cost more than
$1,200 each.
Florilli Transportation, of West Liberty, uses auxiliary power units (APUs) and satellite
communications links to reduce and monitor idling, CEO Murry Fitzer said. The APUs,
installed on 70 trucks, use a small diesel engine that powers air conditioning or heating
while the truck is stopped.
CRST International, of Cedar Rapids, reminds drivers to turn off their engines and get
out of the cab at extended stops, Safety Director Scott Randall said. It also has assigned
Maintenance Manager Steve Madlom to investigate technologies to manage idling.
Pilot Travel Centers plans to offer 72 IdleAire truck parking stalls at the company's
Urbandale location. IdleAire systems provide cable TV, telephone, Internet service,
electricity, heat and air conditioning via units that mount in a cab window.
Developing strategies to reduce idling isn't easy, because turning off a rig's engine can
affect the driver's comfort. Competition for good drivers is intense.
Some truckers travel with dogs for company and keep engines idling so they don't
overheat during their rest breaks, CRST's Randall added.
Idling engines also keep the truck's battery charged. Truckers use power inverters to run
microwave ovens, televisions and portable computers off the truck's electrical system
during long weeks on the road.
Systems like IdleAire have obvious attraction when they are available, according to ISU
experts. They cost about $1.50 per hour to operate basic services versus the $3-perhour cost of idling a truck. However, they don't allow truckers to stop wherever they run
out of driving hours, which many see as critical.
"The holy grail would be to equip trucks with an APU powered by a (hydrogen) fuel cell,
which is a nonpolluting power source," said Randy Boeckenstedt, a transportation
research specialist at ISU.
Trucking executives want APUs to prove their worth before they commit $8,000 each to
equip trucks.
West Side Transport tested five APUs on its trucks and took them all off, according to
Paul Pink, the company's director of maintenance and equipment. Pink said reliability
issues played a part in the decision, but it also was unclear how much money the APUs
were saving.
Heartland Express, of Coralville, isn't in a rush to install anti-idling equipment. Mike
Gerdin, vice president of regional operations, said Heartland wants a better idea where
the regulatory climate and technology are headed before investing.
Idling restrictions have not become a serious problem yet for Heartland's drivers. Gerdin
points out another reason trucking companies may not have a large appetite to spend on
new technology. New clean-air regulations taking effect in 2007 to reduce truck
emissions will add $5,000 to $10,000 to the cost of each new truck purchased.
On the Net: CRST: http://www.crst.com/
Heartland Express: http://www.heartlandexpress.com/
West Side Transport: http://www.westsideunlimited.com/
Florilli Transportation: http://www.florilli.com/