Idle Free Systems, Inc. and Ballard Mack Sales and Service, Inc. have penned a agreement naming Ballard a distributor of Idle Free’s Complete Electric Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Solution in the Northeast United States.
Ballard Mack Sales and Service provides bumper-to-bumper service on tractors, trailers and trucks for Mack, Volvo, Hino, Fuso and UD, and several other light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, and is now an Idle Free APU sales, installation and service center. Under the terms of the agreement, Ballard will sell and service Idle Free APUs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Idle Free says its Complete Electric APU Solution provides drivers and fleet operators a flexible, cost-effective alternative to discretionary idling without compromising performance, cost savings, or driver comfort while reducing emissions for a cleaner environment. The Idle Free electric APUs can be powered three ways:
1. An independent battery bank consisting of four AGM batteries captures energy produced by the engine’s alternator and stores it and, when the truck’s engine is off, converts the stored energy into 120 volt electricity using a pure sine wave inverter;
2. Shorepower, which is standard on every Idle Free system, allows drivers unlimited runtime when plugged into all-weather electrical outlets being deployed across North America; and
3. Reefer Link, Idle Free’s proprietary, patented technology run by the reefer. Idle Free is the only APU on the market that can be powered by the reefer.
Additionally, Idle Free APUs use a coolant heater as a fully integrated component of the system providing heat for both the cab / bunk as well as the engine block.
“After researching all the APUs currently on the market, we found the quality, durability and capabilities of Idle Free APUs to be head and shoulders above the others,” said John Picking, President, Ballard Mack Sales and Service.
“We’re excited about the partnership with Ballard, whose distinctive reputation for quality and a track record of success matches our own,” said Robert Hopton, CEO of Idle Free Systems. “With this partnership, we are closing geographic gaps on dealer representation of Idle Free APUs throughout North America.”
Auxiliary power units eliminate discretionary idling, which can consume thousands of gallons of additional diesel a year. In addition to increasing engine run time, which accelerates wear and tear and related long-term maintenance on trucks, discretionary idling creates health and environmental issues related to excess engine emissions. With regulations and fines growing along with concerns about global climate change and the United States’ reliance on imported fuel, idle elimination is an increasingly important consideration for drivers and fleet operators.
