The award winning TRU Fuel Saver solution consists of a proprietary TRU Smart Plug and an intelligent management platform. In this video our Chief Engineer James Derby explains what the TRU Smart Plug is and where the Idea came from.
In this video, James Derby, Chief Engineer at Flexible Power Systems, shares the story behind our award winning TRU Fuel Saver.
The Innovation Behind TRU Fuel Saver
The TRU Fuel Saver solution consists of a Smart switch that can control when a transport refrigeration unit (TRU) is powered by on depot electricity or diesel. At its core, the system uses OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) - the electric vehicle smart charging protocol - to communicate with the smart switches. This allows fleet operators to intelligently manage their TRU power sources, optimizing for cost savings, emissions reductions, and operational efficiency.
From EV Charging to TRU Management
James explains how the concept emerged from FPS’s experience with EV charging technology: “Central to all this is the smart charging protocol OCPP - the electric vehicle charging protocol. We felt that if there was an OCPP-based TRU electric hookup for transport refrigeration, we’d be able to achieve similar impact and effects in the logistics sector.”
After extensive research revealed no existing OCPP-based solution for TRU management, FPS created the smart switch technology. This innovation allows fleet operators to:
- Achieve significant fuel savings by using electricity rather than diesel
- Access real-time data and connectivity for TRU operations
- Reduce infrastructure costs through intelligent load management
- Improve overall reliability and uptime compared to conventional commando-type hookups
- Minimize carbon and particulate emissions
- Improve air quality in depot facilities
- Avoid expensive grid connection upgrades
Learn More
Discover how the TRU Fuel Saver is making a real-world impact in our case study with Waitrose, where the technology is helping to cut transport refrigeration emissions at their distribution centre.
For more information about our TRU Fuel Saver solution, visit our TRU Fuel Saver service page.