Electrified Parking Spots for Supply Chain Management
Posted on Thu, Sep 08, 2011 @ 08:26 AM
Shoemaker’s Travel Center on I-80 in Lincoln, NE, is the latest truck stop to add electrification by offering 24 electrified parking spaces. The facility is located at milepost 395 on Route 80. It will officially be open on Friday, Sept. 9. Shoemaker’s has signed up to the national Shorepower Truck Electrification Project (STEP).
The STEP program is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy. STEP aims to finance electrification at 50 truck stops nationwide over the next 18 months. Shorepower Technologies and Cascade Sierra Solutions are partnering on the program as well as co-hosting the Travel Center’s grand opening.
The STEP program is a new way of conserving energy and reducing the amount of idle time trucks will have. Plugging into a Shorepower pedestal helps long-haul trucks save about $4,000 per year on fuel alone versus idling during mandatory rest periods. The service also helps drivers safely comply with the nation’s increasing anti-idling laws. Drivers also benefit from a better night’s rest in addition to cleaner, healthier air.
Shorepower provides consistent, high quality service for drivers that take comfort in using a recognizable product that is safe and simple to use. One STEP program provides $10 million in idle-reduction rebates for devices on medium and heavy-duty trucks that have standby electricity operation. Rebates of up to 20 percent are also offered toward the purchase price of equipment such as auxiliary power units and gen-sets. The STEP program is just yet another way to increase trucking efficiency and decrease environmental footprint in the supply chain management industry.