Winter Idle

On hometime right now and have the truck parked at my house since I'm bobtail. Anyways it's 38 degrees right now and is going to drop to 25 later tonight. Should I run my truck for a while tonight to help prevent geling? My fuel is winterized already being that I got it in Pueblo, CO.

I would say no, I live in northern NV and so long as the temps don't stay below 10 for more then 12 hours my truck will start right up. If it gets down to 0 or lower I will run it every 10 hours or so. And if it gets down to -15 I am just letting her run the hole time

I agree, 25 degrees shouldn't be a problem.

That's an interesting question I hadn't thought of.

I live in upstate NY, and on top of a small mountain. During winter it can/will get quite cold, often -10 or more for days on end.

During hometime, would I idle for the duration? Do companies have policies on this?

Thanks for your responses and turtle if the Temps hit that I imagine they want you to idle. I got a message on the qualcomm explaining the policy on idling. If it's not going to get above 15 they want us idling and if won't get above 30 they want it to idle for 2 hrs every 8 hrs it is sitting. Read this on my qualcomm after posting this thread. I'm on hometime and should be away from trucking stuff but it is becoming my life haha. It consumes me.

Thanks for your responses and turtle if the Temps hit that I imagine they want you to idle. I got a message on the qualcomm explaining the policy on idling. If it's not going to get above 15 they want us idling and if won't get above 30 they want it to idle for 2 hrs every 8 hrs it is sitting. Read this on my qualcomm after posting this thread. I'm on hometime and should be away from trucking stuff but it is becoming my life haha. It consumes me.

Beats having to call road service to get the truck started.

Any idea WHY they want you to idle? (technically wise?)

Fuel gets returned from the high pressure side back to the tanks - this fuel, because it went through the pump and fuel system is going to be warm and should help prevent the fuel system from gelling up.

Also - batteries that aren't in the greatest of shape, tend to suffer in really cold weather. Idling for awhile, helps keep them charged.

Additionally - OIL tends to congeal when it gets really cold, making it more difficult to turn the motor over (couple this with weak batteries, and you start to get the idea).

Some tips for winterizing and extended shutdowns (even 10 hour breaks):

If the shop hasn't checked the PROTECTION LEVEL of the coolant - needs to be checked. Adding WATER to the coolant while your on the road, dilutes it and raises the temperature at which it can FREEZE. Which is why most anti-freeze jugs are pre-diluted - so you don't change the "freeze-point". If the antifreeze is too diluted, or too weak - your radiator can freeze up. Since water EXPANDS when frozen - you can pop the freeze plugs on your motor, crack the radiator and all sorts of other nice things.

Be sure and drain your air tanks, and if your fuel filter system has a water separator, drain that when you get home also.

Some trucks have a "shore power plug" - usually in the drivers side - some also have a "block heater". If yours has one - and you can park close enough to the house to plug it in and use the block heater - DO SO. It will keep the engine block warmer than ambient temp, and make it easier to turn over and start.

Or - you can just idle at the recommended intervals your company suggests. This will keep batteries charged, fuel flowing, anti-freeze unfrozen - etc.

Rick

Thanks for your responses and turtle if the Temps hit that I imagine they want you to idle. I got a message on the qualcomm explaining the policy on idling. If it's not going to get above 15 they want us idling and if won't get above 30 they want it to idle for 2 hrs every 8 hrs it is sitting. Read this on my qualcomm after posting this thread. I'm on hometime and should be away from trucking stuff but it is becoming my life haha. It consumes me.

Kinda like this?????

Stevens Transport does not winter idle. We are required to add a single antigel dose if temperatures go below 32 degrees F. A double dose if it goes below zero degrees F.

If you have an APU , it will prevent most cold weather problems in the engine, other than fuel gelling. The APU shares coolant with the main engine, and will maintain coolant temperature between 100 and 150 degrees. It will do this even if there is no need to recharge batteries. The APU does not heat the fuel sufficiently to prevent gelling though.

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.