How Do You Keep Cool Without APU In Places Where You Can't Idle?

I may start doing western regional. I've heard California has some ridiculous idling laws. The carrier I'll be with does not have APUs. So how are drivers expected to stay cool in that case? Is there a trick I'm unaware of, or whenever you're in California do you have to just crack the window and tough it out?

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

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.

APUs:

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.

12v Fans ! Or items that can run on low wattage Inverters with a 110v plug .

Not ideal , but truckers have been driving in the hot and cold temps prior to APU's . Many carriers won't pay for APU's since they are expensive and the turn around time on trucks can be as low as 3-4 years .

Google search 12v fans , 12v appliance , 400w inverter etc ...you will find a way to make it work .

~S~

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.

Pretty much a fan. Though that just blows hot air at you.

Or stay in the truck stop. CA doesn't care about our comfort. -Sincerely, a Californian.

Pretty much every company I have driven for runs California. Never had an issue with truck idling. But just to put everyone at easy as long as you are not within 100 feet of a school or home this is what Oodia has to say on the issue......

CARB allows trucks with California Clean Idle engines to idle By Charlie Morasch, Land Line staff writer Trucks with “California Clean Idle” engines are allowed to idle in California, provided they’re not near a school or home.

The idling rule exemption has held true for years, even though some untrue rumors of the road have resurfaced.

Since 2008, California has banned idling for diesel trucks for more than five minutes, and prohibited idling while truck drivers are in the sleeper berth. That same year, CARB tripled the idling fine from $100 to $300, and banned diesel-powered APUs for trucks with 2007 or newer model year engines unless the APU is retrofitted with a CARB-approved DPF filter.

However, CARB did institute an exemption for the idling rule for trucks that emit no more than 30 grams of NOx per idling hour.

OOIDA has fielded several waves of phone calls from truck owners who have said they’ve heard rumors that CARB no longer allows idling by trucks with California Clean Idle engines and CARB-issued decals.

CARB Spokeswoman Karen Caesar confirmed Friday that the idling exemption remains in effect for trucks that emit 30 or less grams of NOx per idling hour, provided that the trucks have obtained the CARB-required decal indicating the clean idle engine.

No truck is allowed to “idle more than five minutes when within 100 feet of a residence,” Caesar said.

Copyright © OOIDA

Sleeper Berth:

The portion of the tractor behind the seats which acts as the "living space" for the driver. It generally contains a bed (or bunk beds), cabinets, lights, temperature control knobs, and 12 volt plugs for power.

OOIDA:

Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

Who They Are

OOIDA is an international trade association representing the interests of independent owner-operators and professional drivers on all issues that affect truckers. The over 150,000 members of OOIDA are men and women in all 50 states and Canada who collectively own and/or operate more than 240,000 individual heavy-duty trucks and small truck fleets.

Their Mission

The mission of OOIDA is to serve owner-operators, small fleets and professional truckers; to work for a business climate where truckers are treated equally and fairly; to promote highway safety and responsibility among all highway users; and to promote a better business climate and efficiency for all truck operators.

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.

APUs:

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.

What fun it is to sit and sleep in a hot truck in the middle of the night. Another alternative is to buy screens that go in where the door windows are. Roll the window down and install the screens. When your ready to move out, remove the screens.

Dave

What fun it is to sit and sleep in a hot truck in the middle of the night. Another alternative is to buy screens that go in where the door windows are. Roll the window down and install the screens. When your ready to move out, remove the screens.

Dave

I know I'm new to all of this, but that just doesn't sound very safe to me. How do you provide for your security?

LittleJoe

I may start doing western regional. I've heard California has some ridiculous idling laws. The carrier I'll be with does not have APUs. So how are drivers expected to stay cool in that case? Is there a trick I'm unaware of, or whenever you're in California do you have to just crack the window and tough it out?

How dare you imply that there are ANY ridiculous laws in California. Without a doubt, as California sinks deeper into the toilet, the rest of the states will see the "light" of the progressive thinking that makes California such a cutting edge place to live where government INVESTS in stem cell research (doesn't matter that the state is $58 billion in the whole - think of it as a small price to pay for progress - of sorts) or that they have banned fireplaces in the mountains (wood stoves are rightly next!) or water is shut off to a whole side of the valley to protect those invasive fish who ARE NOT native to the area (we have a real soft spot for people/animals who show up uninvited) . . . your comfort sir/madam is a small price to pay for the self-righteousness the California bureaucrats derive in preventing you from sleeping in the 100+ degree nights common throughout the Sacramento Valley . . . you, sir/madam can just stay the hell out of the People's Paradise of California if you are not prepared to sacrifice for the good of ALL bureaucrats . . .er . . .people . . . my state, love it or leave it (or watch it slowly die of self-inflicted wounds)

Jopa

PS - The trick you are referring to is to park in Oregon where it is considerably cooler . . . geez, how obvious can it be??

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

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.

APUs:

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.

What fun it is to sit and sleep in a hot truck in the middle of the night. Another alternative is to buy screens that go in where the door windows are. Roll the window down and install the screens. When your ready to move out, remove the screens.

Dave

I know I'm new to all of this, but that just doesn't sound very safe to me. How do you provide for your security?

LittleJoe

Well, you have to make sure you lock your doors. You can also open the vents by the sleeper.

Dave

What fun it is to sit and sleep in a hot truck in the middle of the night. Another alternative is to buy screens that go in where the door windows are. Roll the window down and install the screens. When your ready to move out, remove the screens.

Dave

I know I'm new to all of this, but that just doesn't sound very safe to me. How do you provide for your security?

LittleJoe

The best way you can. Look up the story behind Jason's Law. Jason,a fellow driver, parked at an abandoned gas station was was shoot through the wall of the truck.

And before people start yelling about bring a gun to protect yourself how would a gun have saved Jason's life since he was shot IN his sleep?

It's about being smart and being aware of what's going on around you. If it feels wrong then it probably is. Move to another place.

What fun it is to sit and sleep in a hot truck in the middle of the night. Another alternative is to buy screens that go in where the door windows are. Roll the window down and install the screens. When your ready to move out, remove the screens.

Dave

I've heard of "a submarine with a screen door" but never a truck.