Portable power stations for the sleeper (2026)
Plenty of company drivers cannot add a house battery, an inverter, or an APU. A portable power station is the work-around that needs no wiring: a lithium battery, an inverter, USB ports, and a 12 V outlet in one box. It charges from the lighter socket while you drive, from shore power at a stop that has it, or from solar. Then it runs the small loads at night without touching the starting batteries.
Size it in watt-hours
Watts are how fast a device draws. Watt-hours are how long the battery lasts. Add up what you run overnight and how many hours:
Swipe this table sideways. The page stays put, and the first column stays visible.
| Load | Typical label draw | Hours | Watt-hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 V fan on low | 10–20 W | 8 | 80–160 |
| CPAP without heated humidifier | Check the power supply label | 8 | Read your machine's manual |
| Laptop charging | 45–65 W | 2 | 90–130 |
| Phone and headset | 10–20 W | 2 | 20–40 |
| 12 V compressor fridge | Cycles on and off. See the fridge guide | 10 | Use the fridge draw tool |
Then leave margin. Inverter losses, cold, and the station's own standby draw all take a share. Our power planner and inverter runtime tools do the arithmetic with your own numbers. The CPAP guide covers that machine in detail; this page does not tell you how to set up medical equipment.
The refill problem
This is the part the listings bury. A station's AC charger can be fast at a wall outlet. In the truck, the lighter socket is the limit. Published car-charging specs for this class sit around 8 to 10 A at 12 V: roughly 100 to 120 W. At 100 W, refilling 1,000 Wh takes more than 10 hours, before losses. If you drive 8 to 10 hours, you may start the night with a battery that is not full.
Ways around it, all with tradeoffs:
- Charge from shore power at stops that have it. See shore power cords.
- A DC-to-DC alternator charger wired to the truck battery. That is an install. Company trucks may not allow it.
- Solar panels on the dash or roof. Dash panels give little. Roof panels are an install.
- Buy a smaller station you can actually refill, and run less.
LiFePO4 versus older lithium
Most current 1,000 Wh class units use LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) cells. Makers rate them for many more charge cycles than older NMC packs, and the chemistry is generally regarded as more thermally stable. The downside is weight. Check the listing weight, because you will lift this into a bunk.
Lithium batteries also do not like charging below freezing. Many stations limit or block charging in the cold. In a Canadian winter, keep the station in the warm cab, not in a side box.
The stations
Along the way
What not to run on it
A station that lists 1,800 W can run a 1,500 W heater, and it will do so for less than an hour on 1,000 Wh. That is not a night of heat. For cold nights, see cold-weather cab gear and a better sleeping bag. Microwaves and induction plates are the same story: possible for a few minutes, a poor use of a battery you cannot refill quickly.
Strap it down. A 20-plus pound box that slides off a shelf in a hard stop is a hazard. Put it where it cannot fly, with ventilation around the fan.
Conclusion
Size the station by your night in watt-hours, then be honest about the refill. A 1,000 Wh LiFePO4 unit is the useful middle for a sleeper without an install. A 300 Wh unit is for phones and a fan. Neither is a heater.
FAQ
How long does a 1,000 Wh station take to charge from a 12 V socket?
At about 100 W, more than 10 hours before losses. Check the car-input spec on the listing.
Can it run my CPAP overnight?
Many drivers do, but read the machine's own power requirement and manual. Heated humidifiers draw much more.
Is it safe to keep in the cab?
Follow the maker's manual, keep it ventilated and strapped down, and do not charge it below freezing.
Will it drain my truck battery?
Charging from the socket while the engine is off draws on the starting battery. Charge while driving or from shore power.