Abstract:
In order to reduce long-term idling along the Oregon I-5 corridor, the US Environmental Agency entered into a collaborative research and implementation program with Oregon State University, the Oregon Climate Trust, and Shurepower (producers of truckstop electrification equipment) to install Shurepower stations at truck stops in Oregon. This research component
• characterizes the existing capacity of the fleets and owner-operators who idle in Oregon to use the Shurepower technology and
• describes the incentives and constraints for fleets and owner-operators to invest in technology that allows their drivers to use Shurepower technology.
In-depth, face-to-face interviews were completed with owner-operator truck drivers at three truck stops in Oregon and phone interviews with equipment buyers at fleets with trucks driving in Oregon. Notes were taken during the interviews and analyzed to answer the research questions described above.
In general, we found that all respondents were concerned about long-term idling for a variety of reasons including cost, driver health, noise, and pollution. The most widely used idle reduction technology currently in use by owner-operators are additional batteries and inverters that allow the use of on-board amenities including (among other things) microwaves, TVs, VCR-DVDs and computers. About 40% of the respondents were familiar with Idleaire technology; and while most respondents have heard of Shurepower, none have ever used it and only a few have even seen it. One fleet has equipped their trucks with Shurepower retrofits, the other fleets were experimenting with other idle reduction options including incentive programs, APUs, and automatic shut-off technology.
Both fleet representatives and owner-operators perceive the largest drawback to the Shurepower technology is the small number of planned spaces at a few truck stops. They see this place-based technology as limiting to drivers who cannot find a technology equipped space, cannot reach an equipped truck stop due to rest regulations, and/or who are not driving regularly along the I-5 corridor. Once a truck is equipped with the enabling technology, however, Shurepower is perceived as an inexpensive, easy to use
option for reducing idling.
Recommendation for promoting and increasing the use of Shurepower technology in
Oregon include targeted marketing of the benefits, services, and locations of
Shurepower- equipped sites, low-interest loan programs for retrofitting trucks, and
promotion of the anti-pollution and health benefits of Shurepower over currently used
technologies.
