You don’t know cold weather until your route takes you through Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the dead of winter, says Phil Clark, a contractor with a trucking company based in Missoula, Mont., who regularly drives through some of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere. “Whether I’m at home or out on the road, there’s no worse feeling than waking up in the morning and realizing that my truck won’t start.
“The right combination of cold night air, the energy drain from electronics in the cab and your unlucky circumstances cause your batteries to quit,” he says. “In this situation, you need to call for a jump start and deal with the aggravation, delay and costs associated with it.”
If this doesn’t sound appealing, Clark says there is another strategy that can keep a truck running and help achieve peace of mind on the road: complementing the primary power source with ultracapacitor technology. “There are three reasons to admit your batteries are ready to call for backup.”
1. Relying on batteries can feel like playing Russian roulette with your truck.
Even with the best driver and a sound battery maintenance program, the average lifespan of a truck battery is two years, notes Clark, who has more than 25 years of experience in the trucking business. “Beyond that point, you’re taking a gamble every time you start your engine, since the cranking application is a high-power event.
“Because batteries are better at providing long-term energy than burst power, a less risky option would be to rely on an engine start module powered by ultracapacitors just for cranking the truck engine and letting the batteries focus on what they’re good at.
“Aside from being well-suited for high power, ultracapacitors have long service life and perform well in a wide range of temperatures and environments, easing the constraints of the battery replacement cycle.”
2. Ultracapacitors are cost effective.
Depending on where it happens, a jump-start can cost $200 to $500, he says, and “if you need a jump on a regular basis, that price adds up quickly, and that doesn’t include the cost of lost time on the road.
“Ultracapacitors also can help reduce fuel costs, especially those from idling your engine all night in order to avoid cold-cranking in the morning. Ultimately, ultracapacitors pay for themselves by preventing delays, eliminating the need for jump-start services and reducing total cost of operation.”
3. Peace of mind.
Clark uses Maxwell Technologies’ ultracapacitor-based engine starting product, Engine Start Module (ESM), to help him maintain his route and not worry about dealing with a truck that won’t start.
The ESM “allows me to relax, meaning I can stop worrying about whether or not I’ll be able to start tomorrow morning. Having confidence in your truck improves your quality of life as a driver.”
