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Auxiliary power units allow truck drivers to have climate control for their sleepers and electricity for hotel loads without needing to idle the tractor engine, but fleets that elect to add APUs to the cab must decide how those APUs will be powered — by a small diesel engine or by batteries.

Troubleshooting problems with a truck’s electrical system takes knowledge and experience.“Always take a systems approach when you are spec’ing and maintaining your vehicles’ electrical systems,” said Bruce Purkey, CEO of Purkey’s Electrical Consulting, which helps fleets solve their electrical system problems.

Like some other small trucking firms, Old Forge Services of Mogadore, Ohio, has turned to glider kits to reduce maintenance expenses and downtime.

Tesla’s announcement in November that it will produce an all-electric Class 8 tractor by 2019 helped highlight the potential for electric power in commercial trucking. But while Tesla and others are electrifying the entire truck, some companies are focusing on the axles.

Engineering advancements are producing more efficient alternators for heavy trucks that are helping to reduce fleets’ fuel bills, industry experts said.

It’s a measure of the current frenzy surrounding self-driving cars that a year-old startup can haul in more than $100 million in its first fundraising round.

Auto companies at the CES tech convention in Las Vegas affirmed plans to have their first true self-driving cars in production by 2021 — or in some cases earlier. But don’t expect to see these vehicles on any dealership lots.

PPG announced Jan. 16 it is partnering with the University of Michigan’s Mcity to test paint and other vehicle coatings specially designed for autonomous vehicles.