November 02, 2005

Cutting Idle Exhaust

Good news for the environment; bad news for people who use idling trucks as an excuse for anti-Wal-Mart NIMBYism:

In a settlement with nationwide impact, officials from Wal-Mart, the country's largest retailer, have agreed to pay $50,000 in fines and equip the company's big-rig fleet with portable generators after a federal investigation found their trucks idling illegally last year in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Under the pact, announced yesterday by the New England Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, Wal-Mart will install generators in each of the company's roughly 6,500 semi-trailers, a spokesman for the retailer said yesterday.

Now, I'm not certain what type of generator Wal-Mart has in mind, but I gather it is still an engine just a cleaner-burning engine than the one used to drive the rig. Anybody have details?

Posted by Kevin on November, 2 2005 at 08:26 AM

Comments & Trackbacks
john henry wrote:

The engine of the truck is 3-400HP. Idling is not very efficient in terms of combustion of the fuel. The truck is left idling so that accessories will continue to work and to keep the engine oil warm.

The generator is 5-10HP it runs the lights etc and uses the exhaust to keep the main engine oil and water hot.

See for example

http://fleetowner.com/equipment/whatsnewin/fleet_whats_new_auxiliary/

John Henry

-- November 4, 2005 07:08 PM ∞

Kevin Brancato wrote:

Thanks, John! That's precisely what I was looking for.

-- November 4, 2005 09:50 PM ∞