Truck Driving Jobs

stevedb28 · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Posts: 289 Location: nashville, tn

Maverick lets us drivers have inverters. The restrictions are that it has to be at least 1500 watts and approved for use for Freightliner. So if I go ahead and spend the money for say a 2500 watt inverter. can I run a small heater or a stand up ac unit all night and not kill the battery? The main reason I would have the inverter is to save from idling. If I didnt have to idle ever 1 bonus check would pay for the inverter and cost of installation, thus paying for itself. Any views from anyone?

Malaki86 · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 2020 Location: West Virginia

With my 1500w inverter running my laptop, 2 external hard drives, etc plus my cooler running, after about 8-9hrs my low battery alarm goes off in the truck. If I use my microwave for maybe 2 minutes, that time is shortened to about 2hrs. I also have my coleman cooler running all the time.

My guess would be that an electric heater would be similar as the wattages are very close - my microwave is a 700 watt.

slider64683 · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 77

I run a small space heater in my truck with a 3000 watt inverter and my cooler and I can shut the truck off and leave it all running for 12 hours or so before my low bat light comes on.

Happy Holidays

roadranger · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject:

A typical 1200 watt heater will draw over 100 amps from the batteries :shock: . Since the batteries are about 100 amp/hrs each you can't even run all of four hours before they won't start the truck :cry: . I use a 12 volt Colman ceramic heater that plugs into the cigarette lighter and draws about 10 amps to take a bit of the chill off when I'm napping getting loaded or unloaded. I just got four new deep discharge batteries (Interstate ECL) and I can now run the heater all night without worry. I don't do many overnights but I'll get to try it out next Monday night in PA. I have seen a heater in the truckstops on sale at $24 that draws 25 amps but it needs to be wired in as it draws too much to use the cigarette lighter socket - I almost picked one up a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't want to run that more than 8 hours as batteries don't last long if you drain them down low all the time but that should be enough to sleep. I also have an electro-warmth mattress pad bunk warmer (5 amps) so maybe with the little heater I have and the bunk warmer I can get through a 20 degree night in my little 41 inch flattop sleeper? I have no problem staying warm when it's 20 degrees out even without any heat but I can't sleep well breathing air that is much below 50 degrees. I'll point the little heater at my face and see if that does the trick 8) . I have a diesel bunk heater I got cheap off of eBay but haven't had the time to put it in and I'm down to a couple overnights a month now from the 6 a month I was doing when I bought the heater. Actually I usually just grab a room for $30 (I get reimbursed) but once in a while I can't stop where the cheap rooms are :cry: as is the case this coming Monday. $30 is about what it costs just in fuel to idle all night :shock: - and as I only fuel at home I have to buy a shower anyways so I save the company money by getting the room 8) . I have a weird deal with the company where they lease my truck from me but also pay me by the hour as a company driver and pay for all the fuel, plates, permits, insurance etc so YMMV :wink: .

inmate1577 · Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 715

Schneider 's policy is 300watts or less for company drivers. I have a Wabasto heater on the truck so heating is not a problem so I mainly use the inverter to watch TV or make coffee. Other than that, the way I look at it, the bigger the inverter, the more crap I have to haul around. :lol:

shaun · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Denham Springs, LA

inmate1577 wrote: Schneider 's policy is 300watts or less for company drivers. I have a Wabasto heater on the truck so heating is not a problem so I mainly use the inverter to watch TV or make coffee. Other than that, the way I look at it, the bigger the inverter, the more crap I have to haul around. :lol:

This still the case? I've read multiple times on pumpkindriver.com that the limit is 180watts. I'd rather believe what you said.

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