Online Exclusive: UltraShred’s Approach to Fuel Savings

UltraShred LLC, a shred truck manufacturer based in Spokane, Wash., has also engineered a number of features for its shred trucks that are designed to reduce fuel usage.

Doug Ferrante, regional manager of UltraShred, says, "We take a multi-pronged approach to fuel savings with each customer."

"First, we train each operator of the truck in the most efficient timing for dumping bins into the truck," he says. "This minimizes the time when the machine may run empty, wasting fuel."

"Second, the Fuel Saver program takes over when the shredder hopper runs empty," Ferrante says. With the Fuel Saver, after 2.5 minutes of running empty, the truck’s computer takes the truck down to engine idle, with the shredder still engaged, running for four more minutes before disengaging. "The customer can select what they want the engine shutdown time to be, and we can preset that into the truck’s engine control module," he says. Ferrante adds that the idle timer can be overridden when the operator wants a longer idle time, such as in the case of extremely cold weather.

"Third, we offer the truck owner a remote-starting system that includes remote shredder start," he says. "The drivers are less likely to leave the truck idling while they make the first pickup at a start, further reducing fuel use."

Ferrante says this combination of technology and education helps UltraShred further reduce the fuel usage of its trucks, which he says are already fuel efficient.

"There is sill no substitute for shredding speed, however," Ferrante says. "The faster trucks will always be more efficient in fuel economy and will result in lower labor costs."

He continues, "Fuel is a hot-button issue because of the increased price, but it is not the biggest expense that mobile shredders face," adding that labor is the biggest expense secure destruction firms face.