Reduce Work Truck Battery Worries and Engine Idling With Chassis Power

Lower fuel and maintenance costs

Work truck technicians and mechanics need to power laptops, LED lights, cordless tools and more while on the jobsite. Access to electrical power to run these tools is critical to help technicians complete jobs. Most work truck cabs are outfitted with a power inverter connected to the truck battery, which converts DC power to AC power for their electronic needs.

To run the inverter, the tech can constantly idle the truck engine or occasionally turn on the engine to avoid draining the truck battery as it powers tools. Without taking these steps, the technician could be stranded with a dead battery at the end of the day.

Both of these options are a drain on productivity and fuel. And they contribute to excessive idling, which increases downtime and maintenance requirements for Tier 4 diesel truck engines.

The EnPak® A30GBW all-in-one features Chassis Power. This industry-leading technology automatically monitors and recharges the truck battery while the engine is turned off. The technician no longer has to worry about being stranded on the jobsite because of a dead battery. In addition, eliminating the need to idle the truck periodically to charge the battery helps fleet managers lower the costs and downtime associated with excessive idling.

What is Chassis Power?

With Chassis Power, technicians can turn off their truck engines and still get the power they need for laptops, cordless tools and LED lights. Laptops are critical on the jobsite because they connect technicians to the information they need to diagnose maintenance issues and error codes.

The EnPak A30 system integrates into the work truck’s battery, and Chassis Power automatically monitors and recharges the battery as needed. When the battery voltage hits a certain threshold, the EnPak A30 automatically provides 12-volt DC power back to the battery to charge it.

“Miller developed this technology in response to the needs of service techs and feedback from fleet managers about too much truck idling,” says Matt Sherrick, product manager, Power Systems Division. “Customers are very excited about Chassis Power because it’s one less thing for techs to worry about and it helps fleet managers control fuel and maintenance costs.”

Switching to Chassis Power mode on the EnPak control panel means technicians can use electric tools and lights without idling the truck engine. They don’t ever have to worry about their tools draining the truck battery. When Chassis Power is on, the all-in-one automatically starts and stops as needed to charge the truck battery.

Many class 3 to 5 trucks use electric over hydraulic cranes, which require electric power to run the hydraulic circuit. This type of crane can also be powered by the truck’s battery without idling the engine when the truck has an EnPak A30 with Chassis Power.

Reduce fuel costs and maintenance

Constant engine idling increases fuel costs and takes a toll on Tier 4-compliant diesel truck engines. Chassis Power reduces the need to idle, so fleet managers spend less time and money on fuel and engine maintenance.

The more a diesel engine idles, the more often the diesel particulate filter must be regenerated. This increases downtime and affects productivity. Turning off the truck engine minimizes the risk of downtime and saves fuel — for a significant impact on the bottom line.

Power tools and maintain battery life

Work truck technicians want tools that help them get jobs done — without any added worry. Fleet managers want solutions that reduce downtime, maintenance and money spent on fuel while keeping their techs happy.