Idling At A Truck Stop
Topic 14095 | Page 2
I shut my motor down a truck stops 90% of the time but I have an espar bunk heater that works good in the winter. I don’t run the motor because it’s loud and out of courtesy for my fellow drivers to reduce the noise and air pollution. If it’s above 78 f outside I’ll idle so I don’t wake up in sweat
Why do some trucks just idle for hours at a truck stop? What purpose does it serve?
I'm at a truck stop right now inbetween two idlers. They aren't reefers, they are just stopped without shutting off their engines.
Truck stops are disproportionately noisy, in general, I'm learning. Last night, I stopped at a highway rest stop. Everyone was quiet. It was the best night of sleep I've had since I've been on the road.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Sorry, but generally I run mine. It may cool off at night, but it hasn't when I park at 1600 and get up at 0200. Lots of pollen and alergens come in an open window or vent, not to mention noise and fumes, even with a screen. No agency enforces those "no idle" laws, anyway.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I figure idling can be an expensive habit. Surprising amount of fuel when you add up a weeks worth of idel hours. Some of the big companies utilize APU's for that reason alone. Imagine 200+ tractors idling 60 hrs per week each. Cha-Ching.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APU's:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
If I am the only one in the row idling, then I might reconsider doing so. The first year of trucking can really stretch your tolerance of temperature fluctuation and with noise also. Why waste the fuel and wear on the engine when the God-given air is sufficient? That's just me. But if the trucker next to me thinks differently and wants to idle to be comfortable, that's his or her prerogative. We are already giving up a lot of comfort in other ways out here. So why deny your colleague that bit of comfort than CAN be controlled?
If the temp is comfortable I shutdown, if not its going to run. Pretty simple
With the temps we've seen this weekend in Indiana, my truck hasn't shut off lol. I'll generally idle mine but the key is to bump the idle to keep the oil pressure up. It doesn't need to be much, every engine will react a little differently. The cost is a debate that can be had forever to be honest. The average APU in perfect running condition burns around .1 to .2 gallons per hour. My truck burns .4. Granted, this new truck doesn't have an APU or bunk heater so that pretty much makes the decision of idling null and void but the theory that idling is hard on diesel engines is false, aside from fuel burn, it doesn't reduce the life of the engine which is designed for 1 million miles of use before a rebuild. We had APU's on the old trucks but due to reliability issues and down time, it didn't justify the extra expense, at least to the owner. It all comes down to numbers and corporate decisions.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APU's:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
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Adverse Conditions Advice For New Truck Drivers Dealing With The Weather Idling Laws Truck Equipment
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Idling, reefers, even apu's never bother me. But good lord when some air dryer is going off every 20 seconds next to me it will drive me up the wall.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APU's:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.