Cool And Productive

Jowin Express uses Arctic BREEZE Truck AC system to reduce idle time and shop service time.

COLUMBIA, MS – Edwin Johnson values simplicity, especially when he can put a dollar value on it. As the owner and President of Jowin Express Inc., a flatbed carrier based in Columbia, Mississippi, he is always looking for a way to cool down operating costs and he found that in the new Arctic BREEZE Truck AC system the company recently began installing in 13 of its trucks.“ Nothing else here generates a savings like that,” says Johnson who calculates that the battery powered 12V/DC air cooling system is saving the company $520 per month per unit, for a total savings of $6,240 a year.

The company was searching for a way to cut costs. Johnson knew the Holmes Company, based in Jackson, Mississippi, had adopted the Arctic BREEZE Truck AC system for its own fleet and the owner, Martin Holmes, was recommending the system without hesitation. “We have a good relationship with Martin who was trying out several different types of AC units in his fleet so I was letting them be the guinea pigs,” Johnson says with a chuckle.

With that recommendation in hand, he stopped looking after he was introduced to the Arctic BREEZE Truck AC, by Barry Willoughby from Advanced Technology Resources Inc., the authorized dealer in Mississippi for Arctic BREEZE. “He approached us with information about the product and we were impressed,” he says, adding he was further convinced after Jeff Lemon, the Senior System Designer at Hammond Air Conditioning stopped by to show a unit to him, and to Shop Manager, James Cavanaugh. “We looked at how it worked and we wanted to try it,” says Cavanaugh.

Now the company is ordering more. “We started with one and it has done the job for us. All of our new trucks coming in now will have these units in them,” adds Johnson. “We appreciate our competitor for recommending this system to us and today we are passing on that recommendation to others.”

System increases driver productivity

Jowin Express started in 1982 with five trucks which has since grown to a fleet of 80. It specializes in hauling flatbed freight with commodity building materials such as lumber and steel. Johnson says what he likes about the system is just how little it weighs. “I don’t like to add extra weight that costs me,” he says.

As a long-haul fleet, company drivers mostly operate along the southeast to southwest and into central parts of the Unites States. Much of their time is spent in hot, humid conditions where driver comfort is a major issue during scheduled periods of down-time.  “It was important for us to figure out how to keep our drivers cool overnight in a truck or just waiting on a load,” he adds. Keeping drivers comfortable and helping them get the rest they need during their 10 hours of downtime ensures they are sharp for the next day’s haul which is a contributing safety factor.

Knowing exactly how much idle time each rig accumulates, and how much that cost the company, made the Arctic BREEZE Truck AC even more appealing.  “It certainly reduced idle time and the fuel we were burning during that time,” says Johnson. “It’s easy to put a dollar figure on fuel. Every hour that truck idles burns a gallon of fuel. At $2.63 per gallon, it doesn’t take much to figure out real quick what that means. Basically we are saving about $26.50 per day,” explains Johnson, adding that he expects the unit will pay for itself in less than 18 months.

Less time spent in the shop

Cavanaugh says the unit’s simplicity and reliability also translates into less time in the shop. “From a service standpoint, they are much easier to maintain compared to other systems like APUs. We didn’t like the fact that other systems have an extra engine that needs to be maintained or that can break down,” he says, adding that the system is simple to install as there are no special tools required. “I was impressed with this system and what it can put out. It’s basically a maintenance free system. I don’t need something that is complicated and eats up a technician’s time servicing it. This is 1-2-3 simple to us. Compared to other ACs, this one has got them beat,” says Cavanaugh.

The flexibility of the Arctic BREEZE Truck AC system has allowed the company to custom install it exactly where they want inside the cab. “We install them in our trucks differently than what others do. We put it under the headache rack behind the sleeper cab. It fits perfectly right in between the posts. It’s pretty much out of the way and protected so it won’t get damaged,” explains Cavanaugh, adding that it takes about seven hours for the installation.

Johnson says the simplicity of the Arctic BREEZE Truck AC system and the money that the company is saving has convinced him to add these units to the 10 new trucks he has on order in addition to the 13 he already has installed. This will bring the total to 23 trucks equipped with the Arctic BREEZE air conditioning units which will represent a significant cost savings by the end of the year. “Right now we are trying to stay afloat in this economy just like everybody else, but we are putting the savings back into the company,” he says. “We are buying more trucks and this helps ease the pain a little bit.”

About Hammond Air Conditioning

Based in Ingersoll, Ontario, Arctic BREEZE Truck AC™ from Hammond Air Conditioning is quickly becoming the first choice for a growing number of truck dealers and truck fleets and operators seeking dependable, quality-built fully integrated battery-powered air cooling systems. The company’s integrated air conditioning experience includes over 700 different vehicle types – everything from mini-excavators to motor graders, from heavy mining and construction equipment to material handlers as well as trucking and marine applications.

For more information about Hammond Air Conditioning and the full line of Arctic BREEZE systems, or becoming an Arctic BREEZE Dealer, contact Denise Henry or Ken Barnard at Hammond Air Conditioning Limited, 125 Samnah Crescent, Ingersoll Ontario.

Telephone: 1-800 267-2665 ? Fax: 1-888 267-3745
? www.arcticbreeze-truckac.com

Posted in Hammond Air Conditioning