A new Internet-based mapping program is helping truckers find truck stops equipped with idle reduction systems that can cut fuel use while reducing air emissions.
The Truck Stop Electrification Station Locator — available free of charge on the Clean Cities website — was developed through an interagency agreement by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. The project resulted from a collaboration between FHWA and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities activity.
“We developed this tool to help guide truck drivers to truck stop locations with idle reduction capabilities because reducing heavy-duty truck idling is an important step in reducing overall fuel consumption and improving our nation’s energy security,” says Stan Bull, NREL associate director of science and technology.
Truck stop electrification allows truckers to “plug in” their longhaul tractor-trailers so they can operate the heater and air conditioner, and run electrical appliances such as refrigerators or televisions, when they are resting during their federally required rest periods. Options for truck stop electrification include standalone systems that are located at truck stops, and combined systems that require both onboard and offboard equipment.
Two main types of idle reduction facilities are included in the TSE station locator: IdleAire and Shurepower technologies. More information about TSE and other idle reduction equipment is available on the Clean Cities website. There now are about 50 TSE stations in 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. More facilities are planned in the near future.
