Semi Truck Batteries & Power

Getting a few people to push your car or truck is one of few ways to start the engine if your battery is low. When it comes to a heavier vehicle like semi truck, this seems to be really impossible to do. If you don’t want to try your luck, it is important to keep your semi truck battery and other starting and charging components in proper condition. In case your battery is out of service and you are looking for a quality replacement, you will find reliable semi truck batteries on our website.

The battery is undoubtedly one of the most crucial parts of your semi truck. It is responsible for engine startups and proper operation of all electrical systems found in your big rig when the motor is not running. Since the pistons, crankshafts and other engine components of your vehicle are heavier than the ones found in any car or lightweight truck, your battery has to release a lot of power to move them. For this reason, your semi truck features the system voltage of 24V, which means it either needs a high-capacity 24V battery or two high-capacity 12V batteries connected serially to operate.

Most likely your semi truck has additional electronics consuming a significant amount of energy. It is another reason to have a battery with a higher value of capacity. As a rule, batteries specially intended for big rigs are two or three times more powerful than car batteries. No less important is the cold start current of your battery. The higher the current, the easier you can crank the starter, which is especially important when starting the engine at below zero temperatures since engine oil becomes thinner, and therefore better resists the movement of the pistons.

Semi truck batteries can be divided into 3 main types, including flooded, flooded maintenance-free and AGM. The first type of batteries is the oldest one. Such batteries have flooded cells filled with electrolyte. Each section has a removable cap to make it easier to maintain the level of electrolyte. Flooded maintenance-free batteries have the same design as the first type except for vented caps which are not removable. AGM batteries also have cells, but they are not separated with flood. They use tightly packed fiberglass material that absorbs electrolyte to prevent any kind of leaking.

When your engine is off, various electronic components of your semi truck continue running. If they operate for a long period of time, it may cause a full battery discharge, which why your battery must withstand deep discharge/recharge cycles while maintaining high cranking power. To address this challenge manufacturers offer dual-purpose batteries. They are engineered with a large plate surface area which increases cranking power. At the same time, the plates are tough enough to withstand deep cycling. Such batteries are ideal for heavy-duty starting and moderate deep cycle service.