PHILLIPS INDUSTRIES: Alternative to idling

In today’s environment, the downturn in the American economy has made it imperative business owners in the trucking industry look for innovative ways to save money. At Phillips Industries we have always focused our energy on how to help both fleet owners and independent operators reduce costs. We all know fuel expenses are up and every time an engine idles it means one thing—fuel consumption.

As a leading manufacturer of wiring and electrical connections for the heavy-duty trucking industry, we are excited about the solution we have developed to resolve the fuel consumption/truck idling issue. We are pleased to announce the release of our newest product—the ElectroLink™ Inverter System, which is a high-quality shore power system that reduces fuel consumption by decreasing a truck’s idling time.

Many people in the trucking industry may not realize some significant facts centering on fuel consumption.* For example, the average truck operator idles 2,500 hours per year while parked. This is equivalent to driving an additional 17,500 miles per year in terms of engine wear. Non-productive idling also burns 3,500 gallons of fuel and costs nearly $6,000 per truck, per year.

After studying these numbers, we realized a solution had to be found quickly. Keeping this in mind, we developed the ElectroLink™ Inverter System at Phillips. With its 110-volt household power, this system allows operators to run any small appliance (computer, coffee maker, microwave, television, etc.) without idling their truck.

SOLVING SHORE POWER ISSUES

We performed extensive product research, development and testing of the ElectroLink™ Inverter System and are convinced this system has all of the benefits the industry has been looking for from shore power. The ElectroLink™ Inverter System provides:

• 110-volt household power to the sleeper cab
• Easy installation on all trucks
• AC to DC power conversion for battery charging
• Resolution to EPA, DOT and local idling regulations
• Cab access to on/off controls

The system’s inverter will provide the driver with sufficient power to restart the truck even after long hours of using the ElectroLink™ Inverter System. The inverter has a peak power rating of 3,300 watts with a continuous rating of 1,100 watts. When plugged into external 110-volt household power, the inverter will fully charge the truck’s batteries. Included is an Auto-Shutoff feature to prevent the batteries from overdischarging.

At Phillips, we spent a lot of time and effort developing and producing all of the various components that make up the ElectroLink™ Inverter System.

The power remote LED indicator panel allows for easy monitoring of battery discharge while protecting against overloads, short circuits and overheating of the batteries. We also provide 25 ft. of additional positive, negative and ground cable. Included in the package are two hole saws and drill bits to help make the installation of the ElectroLink™ Inverter System easy and convenient. The installation was designed to be quick and easy, so the truck can be back on the road in four hours.

For more information, contact Phillips Industries at 1-800-423-4512, or visit us at www.electrolink.info or www.phillipsind.com.

Figures provided by the Dept. of Transportation, Dept. of Energy, the Edison Electric Institute and Argonne National Laboratory