Driver Login Submit Job Application Trucking Companies List Local/Regional Job Board Trucking Job Resources Truck Driver Schools Recruiter Login Join TruckFLIX Membership Plans Post Trucking Jobs Apps On Demand Recruiter Resources

Truckers traveling through Nebraska and Iowa now have three more locations at which they can plug in to grid power instead of idling their engines.

Shorepower Technologies is building a national network of truck stops with parking spaces equipped with plug-in power. Its service has been added at Sapp Brothers Travel Center, at Exit 440 on I-80, Omaha, NE; Broadway Flying J, at Exit 144 on I-35, Williams, IA; and Shoemaker’s Shell Travel Center, at Exit 395 on I-80, Lincoln, NE.

The three sites join more than a dozen locations already in operation as Shorepower deploys plug-in power to truck stops on major freight corridors. Through the federally funded Shorepower Truck Electrification Project (STEP), administered by Shorepower Technologies and Cascade Sierra Solutions, 50 truck stops will add plug-in power pedestals this year.

Shoemaker’s has added 36 truck parking spaces with electrical connections, while Sapp Bros in Omaha and Broadway Flying J have each added 24.

Truck drivers need only a heavy-duty extension cord to connect their vehicles to the plug-in pedestals. The 110/208v service is priced at $1 an hour. Cable TV is included at the Sapp Bros location in Omaha, and will be shortly at Shoemaker’s. Sapp Bros also offers plug-ins for three-phase power (460v/230v) for trailer transport refrigeration units (TRUs) with electric standby capabilities – the first truck stop in the country to provide this service.

Access and payment can be handled with a credit card, gift card, smartphone, laptop or toll-free customer service hotline.

By plugging in to grid power, drivers can still operate heating and air conditioning systems and use in-cab appliances such as microwaves and TVs without the air pollution and noise of idling. They also save money in the short and long run, since plug-in power costs much less than idling and reduces wear and tear on the engine, which adds to maintenance and repair bills. In addition, many states and local jurisdictions are limiting or banning idling.

Sapp Bros in Omaha will host a STEP Plug-In Celebration June 12-13, which will feature displays and demonstrations of equipment compatible with plug-in power.