Calculate Your Idle Reduction Savings
Compare the estimated yearly cost of idling a tractor engine against a Thermo King TriPac APU. Adjust fuel price, idle time, fleet size, installed equipment cost, residual value, annual DPF cleaning, hotel and motel pay, and operating details to estimate savings, payback, and five year net savings after ROI.
Calculator Inputs
Start with the defaults, then update the numbers to match your operation. Results update automatically. DPF cleaning is calculated as an annual savings amount, not a monthly amount.
Optional Additional Annual Savings
This is annual savings multiplied by 5, minus the net APU investment.
Typical APU service life is 7 to 10 years with proper maintenance.
Enter your usage details to see estimated savings, payback period, and 5 year net savings after ROI.
How the Calculator Works
The calculator estimates annual savings by comparing yearly truck idle cost against yearly APU operating cost. It then adds annual DPF cleaning savings, annual hotel and motel pay, annual DEF expenses while running idle, and any other optional annual savings entered. Monthly savings are calculated only after the full annual savings total is complete.
Idle hours are multiplied by nights used per year, truck fuel burn, and diesel price.
Diesel APU cost includes power pack fuel, heater fuel, and annual APU maintenance. Envidia includes heater fuel, optional charging cost, and annual APU maintenance.
This number uses five years of annual savings, then subtracts the net APU investment so the long term value is shown after the APU has paid for itself.
Built In TriPac Comparison
These specs are included to help compare the diesel and electric APU options.
| Feature | TriPac Diesel APU | TriPac Envidia APU |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling Capacity | 13,000 BTU/hr | 8,000 BTU/hr |
| Heating Capacity | 7,500 BTU/hr | 7,500 BTU/hr |
| Runtime | Unlimited while fuel is available | 10 hours estimated |
| CARB and EPA Compliance | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 23.6 x 25.8 x 26.9 in. | 20 x 18 x 27 in. |
| Total Weight | 489 lbs, 518 lbs with ATD | 486 lbs |
| Controller | New digital HMI | Standard HMI |
| Scheduled Maintenance | 2,000 hours | 2,000 hours |
| Warranty | 2 year warranty | 1 year warranty |
| Noise Level | 67.8 dB | 59.0 dB |
| Fuel Efficiency for Power Pack | 0.185 gph | Minimum impact |
| Fuel Efficiency for Heater | 0.06 gph | 0.06 gph |
| Inverter Support and Hotel Load | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Satisfaction | Yes | Yes |
| Dealer Network | Yes | Yes |