Todd Dills: Effectively, you’ve bought the within scoop. You understand what this truck known as? What is the identify of this truck?
Jamie Hagen: Yeah, I can’t inform you.
Todd Dills: Yeah, I attempted, however Jamie Hagen would not expose the identify of the brand new Mack tractor set to be debuted in April in New York. And this 12 months of Mack’s a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary as an organization. Small fleet proprietor Hagen does certainly have the within scoop on the unit as I steered up prime, a short excerpt of our dialog final week. He’s truly pushed one hand constructed manufacturing mannequin already across the firm’s take a look at monitor hidden behind the partitions. And are available June he expects to be leasing one of many first manufacturing models in an association with Mack’s advertising arm. It’ll add to his all-Mack fleet Hell Bent Xpress, amongst finalists in 2024 for Overdrive Small Fleet Championship. Common readers and listeners right here will recall.
Jamie Hagen: Every dealership goes to get one after which I am gonna get one. So that they had a sure slot on the very starting. So I will get my first truck in June. Sellers will begin seeing them on the finish of Might. I assume they begin constructing them after which mine will get in-built June so I ought to get it, , earlier than July. Someplace in there like there’s this entire grey space however I am like within the first hundred, first hundred models.
Todd Dills: That unit will add one to his South Dakota based mostly small fleet’s energy unit rely. At present sitting the place it was again when we final spoke across the Small Fleet Champ program’s conclusion in November at 9.
Jamie Hagen: Toughing it out at 9. When Mack sends me this new truck we’ll be again at 10.
Todd Dills: I am Todd Dills and there is huge issues forward for Hagen and Hell Bent Xpress, it’s sure, but the brand new Mack wasn’t the principal purpose I needed to convey him on for this version of Overdrive Radio for 3-3-2025. Somewhat, the forward-looking small fleet proprietor occurs to be the first US proprietor to put in a brand new to the US auxiliary air con unit in the sleeper of one in all his Macks. Thats the Fresco 9000 maxx unit constructed by an Italian producer and powered by US based mostly Dragonfly Vitality’s Battle Born Batteries Lithium iron phosphate battery to ship cooling energy within the hotter months. Immediately within the podcast Hagen walks us by way of the unit design and alongside the best way his rationale for leaping into the modular moveable system after years foregoing different air con for his principally higher Midwest regional fleet.
Sure, he’s bought auxiliary warmth within the type of Webasto bunk heaters.
Should you’ll be in attendance on the huge Mid America Trucking present later this month. Hagen can be a part of a panel dialogue opening the occasion on Thursday, March 27 about small trucking enterprise points that additionally contains a previous Overdrive Small Fleet Champ in Silver Creek Transportation. Jason Cowan, and plenty of others. Discover details about that through a hyperlink within the present notes for what is basically a gap breakfast on the conference middle that additionally options representatives from FMCSA. Hagen wasn’t fairly certain what all he was going to do to organize. Finding out up on regulatory points won’t be one amongst these actions, he guessed, illustrating that although Hagen might be a enterprise proprietor along with his eyes on the long run, particularly in the case of gasoline financial system and the most recent truck tools, he is bought a number of the identical frustrations as many a truck driver on the highway at present.
Jamie Hagen: I do not know if me learning up on the laws goes to assist anyone, not when you have got the FMC guys there. You know, I imply, I simply have a look at him and say, you inform me what it means. As a result of , it is at all times as much as interpretation. That is the factor I hate probably the most about our trade is every particular person a legislation enforcement officer will get to interpret the legislation the best way they see match. You possibly can undergo it afterwards when you disagree with how they interpreted it, however that does not imply you aren’t getting stopped on the aspect of the highway and put out a service till they deem in any other case. I’ve had loads of guys, , get tickets for among the easiest issues and I am similar to, actually? It is type of a unfastened interpretation of it. However , what are you going to do.
Todd Dills: After the break: How a 2023 Mack anthem within the small fleet of Hellbent Xpress got here to be the primary truck to get an put in Fresco 9000 Maxx battery powered different Air Conditioning system carried out, by the best way, by Jim Fowler and his crew at Michigan Md. Alignment. Maintain Tuned.
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Here is Hellbent Xpress 9 truck small fleet proprietor Jamie Hagen harking again to late summer season, early fall, and the heavy responsibility trucking change occasion the place he met among the folks from Dragonfly Vitality who would finally lead him on to the Fresco 9000 Maxx system.
Jamie Hagen: Actually, it type of began from, attending the, HDTX Heavy responsibility Trucking Trade. You understand, they do type of like a spherical desk with these folks, and one in all them was Dragonfly Batteries.
And actually, it caught my consideration as a result of I did not. … You understand, I’ve heard rather a lot about lithium batteries and vehicles. I have not seen a number of stuff. so these guys gave me a lot of data. I stated, man, , these battery sound nice. Like, do you have got something to, like so far as air con methods that you just use for them? He is like, effectively, we’re speaking to this firm, Climo Pizo, , out of Canada, they usually, , we’ll get them in contact with you. And that is type of the way it occurred. they only type of discovered me.
Todd Dills: You discovered one another, appears like mainly. So that you simply put in one in a single truck otherwise you moving into all of them?
Jamie Hagen: To date, we bought one.
That is all we’ve bought. We’re engaged on one other one we’ve not examined but. Like, we put it in the course of, , simply a completely kick you within the donkey chilly winter. So it is actually by no means been turned on since we examined it after, , putting in it.
So, I am hoping right here it is gonna get just a little hotter. And I simply instructed my man, simply use it even when you’re not. Even when you’re not, , chilly or heat, , simply flip it on, see if that factor works.
Todd Dills: It is type of heat down right here this week, within the south. I do not know if he comes down right here, however.
Jamie Hagen: Effectively, yeah, I bought him headed to Ohio from, Nebraska, which is type of a lateral transfer. However, , we have heard, you know, the man that put in it, Jim Fowler, he went, as much as Canada and educated on how one can set up them. And the corporate up there that taught him how one can set up them stated they’ve put in 200 of them already, all Canadian vehicles. They usually, , run down america, so that they get a good quantity of use of them in the summertime. They usually stated that the fellows simply love them. Like, they’ve by no means had one go unhealthy, by no means had a man complain, they usually’ve been working for 2 years. In order that made me really feel just a little higher to, , Nez are mechanics who, what I imply, they ain’t bought no purpose to, what I imply? Like these two guys, they’re simply too lonely mechanics they usually could not converse extremely sufficient concerning the system. In order that made me really feel rather a lot higher like simply the incontrovertible fact that we bought some fairly good glowing critiques. You with 200 installs. You know.
Todd Dills: As famous prior, Hagen’s Hellbent Xpress is an solely Mack fleet. And this unit is put in within the bunk of one in all his 2023 mannequin Anthem tractors. After beforehand having zero auxiliary cooling in any respect, Hagen’s operators used a webasto gasoline fired heater for heat within the colder months.
Jamie Hagen: I type of began off small, primarily working the Midwest, proper, Like actually specializing in the Midwest, doing tankers. Effectively, I imply it does get heat up there, however what number of occasions the place you possibly can’t open your home windows, in your sleeper we now have the bunk heaters. Yeah, we had the Waato bunk heaters. Yeah. In order that was our principal concern. And to me I at all times did the maths and it by no means fairly panned out financially. You understand, in my thoughts including one other small engine that wanted upkeep by no means actually made sense prefer it was. I am m similar to all I am doing is transferring the invoice to this different factor, , possibly I used to be fallacious, I do not know. However we bought by all these years and now this appears like an actual good resolution. Like no oil adjustments, nice reliability, all these stuff you need quiet. My God, I can’t stand these little generator motors simply putzing away proper beside you. So yeah, to me this is like only a good situation.
Todd Dills: They usually have good guarantee protection on their batteries, do not they?
Jamie Hagen: Batteries, a loopy 10 12 months guarantee.
Todd Dills: The actual battery in use right here is the Dragonfly Vitality Firm’s Battleborn Batteries’s lithium iron phosphate design beneath the bunk of the Mack truck.
Jamie Hagen: Now I can not actually converse to far more than Mack truck, proper, as a result of that is the entire sort plate. You open the bunk, the mattress slides up after which there is a compartment proper within the center. The beneath bunk space is made up of three compartments and there is one type of useless middle that is primarily used for like bulk storage. You understand, such as you would simply throw some garments in there or one thing, . We have been capable of put the 2 huge lithium batteries proper in there after which the condenser for the AC unit and then we simply ran the hoses and the wires like out the again after which round, and then it simply follows up the again of the cab. After which proper on the very prime, there was a cupboard about head excessive, and it sits on prime of that. So it is actually on the prime of the sleeper the place the blower is, which is a large factor. I’ve come to seek out out. Those that sometimes mount proper on the again wall of the sleeper, , it simply would not have sufficient oomph to get the chilly air up within the air. You understand, this chilly air falls, . So it is my understanding these items truly cool the truck higher as a result of they’re in a position to mount them so excessive. Form of a modular design, too. So it is available in these two items. The Heatso unit is just two models. You understand, the batteries are separate unit, and then you definitely bought the wires and hoses that hook as much as it. There is a fan on the surface. There’s the third unit I used to be speaking about. There is a fan on the exterior to chill the condenser. However that condenser is like the dimensions of a lunchbox. You understand, it is tremendous small and handy. That is the one factor that type of blew my thoughts is how small the unit was. The batteries are what take up probably the most room in the entire unit. And when you might mount these exterior the truck, then you definitely freed up all. You understand what I imply? You’ve got virtually taken virtually no room in any respect contained in the truck, which is type of a giant deal too.
Todd Dills: I imply, is that doable, exterior set up someplace?
Jamie Hagen: They inform me you may get a battery field, aluminum battery field for round 5 hundred. To mount it exterior, you simply mounted them inside. Trigger I believed it might make it tremendous simple on the set up. And, drivers appeared to be proud of it. All the things was okay with it. It would be nice in the event that they have been only a smidge smaller they usually might release just a bit bit extra room. So I am considering having them exterior nonetheless. Simply considering. The one upside to them being inside is you do not have to fret about them freezing within the winter. Not that lithium freezes, however it undoubtedly diminishes the facility vary. We actually do not want energy within the winter.
They’re primarily used to run, the. They’re gonna truly hook this up. We bought a system to hook these batteries again into my starter battery. So in the winter, we might shut the truck off. The batteries could be continuously being charged from the lithium batteries. The entire Time they’re parked. So that you know, that is the factor that will get batteries probably the most. The winter is the chilly. So they’d at all times be charging, working the heater off of it as effectively. So in the event that they go useless, the truck battery is at all times good and juice so it might simply begin proper up. So there will be a win win summer season and winter with these items. It will, , it run your, your fridge, it might run your webato cabin heater and it might cost the batteries for the complete truck, conserving them heat, , juiced. In order that approach, , as quickly as you flip the important thing on the morning it simply fires proper up after which the remainder of the day you are charging again what you, what you stole within the evening.
Todd Dills: it is linked to the truck’s electrical system being charged off the alternator type of factor.
Assuming many of the parts stand the take a look at of time, if a battery with a guaranty, a ten 12 months guarantee on it, and you do not have to place. Does not sound like there’s in all probability going to be a lot, not any type of frequent upkeep on these. Proper?
Jamie Hagen: Should not be any upkeep of any sort aside from conserving the decrease motor clear. You understand, I imply cost of the AC system possibly that is about it.
Todd Dills: That’ll save a while spent idling for certain.
Jamie Hagen: And it is modular so you possibly can transfer it. That was the one factor that actually bought me on it was the truth that, , yeah, we’re gonna have some mounting holes, , within the older truck however like if we go to maneuver to a brand new truck, we are able to simply take the entire system with us as an alternative of shedding the cash. You understand. That was the factor that actually used to drive me insane was like until you acquire a model new truck with an APU on it, you know, you did not actually get your a reimbursement in time. You understand, becausee the issues are so costly, it is exhausting to recoup the fee.
Todd Dills: You shopping for these vehicles new, proper? The Macks that you have bought at present. They in all probability do have I am guessing, battery methods that they supply on these vehicles which might be sufficient for local weather management.
Jamie Hagen: They simply began doing it from the manufacturing facility and there once more that is a kind of models they mount proper on the again of the sleeper. After which the, , they minimize a gap and the factor comes by way of, , you are by no means eliminating this, what I imply? As a result of they the minimize a gap at the back of the sleeper and it is, , it is there for life.
Todd Dills: Now with the Fresco 9000 Max against this, and the setup for Hagen’s 2023 Mack, a gap the dimensions of a small orange was minimize in the ground of the cab by way of which to run hoses and wires and in any other case mounting screws for mounting brackets deal with the remainder of it.
Jamie Hagen: After which the opposite piece mounts on the ground, the opposite piece mounts on prime of the cupboard. All of the hoses and stuff get run by way of the trim so there is not any mounting. After which the cooler on the again of the cab, they only use these nut units drilled into the again of the cab. So like there is not any huge holes, there’s 4 holes, that is it which you can fill in or put a bolt in.
Todd Dills: Plan is to simply proceed so as to add these as you, as you may get them within the store, and do it.
Jamie Hagen: Yeah, proper now we bought we bought plans with Jim to get one other truck in there. he simply bought to get the batteries. He is bought two or three AC models in inventory. And the exhausting half is getting the batteries from Reno, the place Dragonfly is made so that they’re on the market. He’s bought one, however he is bought to make use of them for the Mid-America truck present.
Todd Dills: That is proper. As famous up prime you will discover the Fresco 9000 max lithium iron phosphate battery pushed different AC system at Mid America. Jim Fowler and different reps from companions to the Heatso distributor will be readily available to elucidate it at sales space quantity 11168 on the Mid America Trucking present in Louisville, Kentucky. We effectively be there too in fact. On the transfer, masking the big selection of eventns occurring. Dont miss Jamie Hagen as a part of the opening breakfast when you’ve added that to your registration. And maintain an eye fixed out for 2023 Trucker of the 12 months, Jay Hostey’s 2022 Western Star and its just lately added ATG Customized Sleeper at that companys sales space too.
