Unnecessary truck engine hours dramatically decrease engine life, which is an area of improvement the team at Wheeler CAT set out to address. With idle time averaging 34 percent across the service truck fleet, and some trucks pushing 50 percent, Wheeler CAT’s fleet manager Scott Cline wanted ways to significantly reduce the time technicians were idling their truck engines.
The fleet had already moved to the EnPak integrated power solution on its trucks, but they needed to maximize the potential of that change, which meant reducing idle time and related fuel and maintenance costs more. That opportunity came in the form of integrating a cab climate solution to further reduce the idle time that was spent heating or cooling the cab.
A MOVE TO AN INTEGRATED SOLUTION
To bring greater efficiency to its fleet, Wheeler initially installed all-in-one solutions on all their mechanic trucks, partnering with Miller to do so. The power system gives users full jobsite functionality — with the work truck’s engine turned off. That switch alone allowed them to reap the benefits an integrated solution provides to reduce truck idling, fuel costs and wear on Tier 4 engines. While substantial, there was still one issue: technicians continued to idle their trucks to heat their cabs on cold days and cool the cabs on hot days.
Keeping technicians comfortable is a matter of safety, and Wheeler didn’t want to compromise that. In addition, keeping a moderate cab climate is important to protect equipment technicians may keep in the cab, such as laptops. Wheeler wanted to figure out how to incorporate a solution that addressed cabin temperatures to further maximize the benefits the power system offered.
The company decided to test the CabEn climate solution, a heating and cooling system that Miller had introduced. With the flip of a switch, the fully integrated system made it possible for technicians to control cab temperatures without idling the truck engine, taking up extra cab space or requiring extensive (and expensive) cab modifications.
ACTUALIZING BENEFITS FROM AN INTEGRATED SOLUTION
Wheeler first assessed the full integration, which included both the climate and power systems, on one truck in its fleet. From January to the middle of June, before the new system was installed, idle time on that truck averaged 48 percent, with idle-related fuel costs totaling $700. Data from the truck showed idling spikes on hot days, so the team knew it was linked to temperature. Cline set a goal of reducing idle time to 10 percent on that truck.
The climate system was installed in mid-June during the heat of the Utah summer, a perfect time to evaluate the capabilities. During a test period of several months, Wheeler experienced multiple benefits, achieving better results than hoped.
- Reduced idling: within a few weeks, the technician had the truck down to one percent average idle time, an overall reduction of 98 percent. In projecting those numbers across the entire fleet, Cline estimated that if he could decrease idle time by just four percent across the fleet, it would result in savings of $400,000 to $500,000 a year in fuel, reduced repair, and maintenance, and less tech downtime.
- Increased fuel efficiency: fuel efficiency increased almost two miles per gallon. From April 28 to June 25, the truck averaged 7.4 mpg and 48 hours of idle time. In the six weeks following system installation, the truck averaged 9.1 mpg and logged only 34 minutes of total idle time.
- Climate control: the cooling system kept the technician cool despite the extreme summer heat.
- Quieter job site: the reduced noise level provided a more comfortable work environment, even when tools were in use.
- DPF regeneration and service: most of the fleet repairs at Wheeler involve the DPF regeneration system or a related sensor, with repairs taking fleet trucks out of commission for one to three days at a time. Cline expects that the transition to the complete integrated system solution will lengthen the service life of the fleet’s trucks. This will let Wheeler measure trucks in miles rather than hours. Typically, the fleet replaces trucks every 200,000 driven miles. At that point, a PTO truck typically had 15,000 to 16,000 idle hours, roughly equivalent to 600,000 to 700,000 miles on the powertrain. Reducing the idle hours with a fully integrated solution can bring the truck to 300,000 miles of service and three to four more years of engine life.
A FULLY INTEGRATED SOLUTION
The full integration and ease of use of the two systems were important for Wheeler CAT, especially when it came to space in the truck cab or any modifications. The combination of the new cab climate technology paired with the power system offered by Miller delivered the solution to eliminate truck engine idling and help make Wheeler’s business more competitive. For companies looking to boost business, incorporating these two technologies is a one-two punch for profitability and productivity.
about the author
Kevin Kari is the segment manager at Miller Electric Mfg. LLC.
