Volvo Trucks North America will display two trucks equipped with mobile idle reduction technology (MIRT) at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. on March 23-25.

Idle reduction is an important element for improving air quality. Truck drivers typically idle their trucks to provide heating or air conditioning, as well as electricity for amenities such as on-board refrigerators. MIRT systems reduce the need to idle trucks, while providing drivers with electrical power for their personal comfort and non-driving needs.
Truck idling consumes about 2 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, which translates into extra costs for truck fleets and additional wear on engines, as well as the additional diesel emissions.
Volvo will display MIRT systems from Cummins and Mechron Power Systems at MATS. The Cummins ComfortGuard and Mechron CCS Lightning systems will be installed on Volvo trucks on display at Volvo’s booth (Booth 3500).
Both the Cummins and Mechron systems include an onboard 120-volt AC generator, eliminating the need for the truck’s engine to idle for power. Each unit will also be wired to provide shore power electricity (electricity delivered to a parked truck from electric mains) to power driver amenities. The Mechron system also includes an AC-powered heating/ventilation/air conditioning system for use when the truck’s engine is stopped.
Volvo was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership to develop factory-installed prep kit to make the mounting of MIRT systems easier and less expensive. The grant calls for Volvo’s system to be compatible with multiple MIRT systems. Volvo is partnering in the MIRT development project with the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University.