Idling Is Soooo Over!

[ATeam]

A couple nights ago, we were in the bobtail lot at Jubitz truck stop in Portland, OR. I counted 27 bobtail trucks parked there. Only two were idling. A couple more had generators. The rest were turned off.

The weather was perfect for no-idle sleep. But what was different was even just a year or so ago, most of the trucks would have been burning up 0.5 to 1 gallon per hour of disel fuel because drivers would have let them idle.

That night at Jubitz, a latecommer arrived, parked his truck, ran the RPM up to an annoyingly loud 1500 RPM (give or take) and let it run all night with the engine fan kicking on and off too. The way the other drivers looked at and talked about that truck signaled to me a culture change. It seems idling a truck when you don't have to is no longer a cool trucker thing to do.

 

[dieselphreak2K]

I've begun to notice more and more APUs on fleets and less trucks idling. I just love how much quieter it can be. Unless a reefer parks next to you.

 

[sixwheeler]

No idling is all well and good, but what are you supposed to do about
electric power if you dont have a generator. It sucks, if you leave the truck idling then you have to worry about the idle police, and if you dont idle then you have to worry about your batteries going dead.
Quite a dilemma.

 

[unorthodoxneon]

>No idling is all well and good, but what are you supposed to
>do about
>electric power if you dont have a generator. It sucks, if
>you leave the truck idling then you have to worry about the
>idle police, and if you dont idle then you have to worry
>about your batteries going dead.
>Quite a dilemma.

I was thinking this too. One thing i came up with but not 100% efficient of course is looking into some sort of solar panels on the top of the truck. Now they dont put out enough power and if your stayed for the night then your in trouble. Bad thing for me is i love my electronics (computer, tv, stereo) so i'll need something to keep me powered through the night.

You could get a couple hampsters hooked up to a wheel and an alternator :+

 

[jackdixon_2000]

I personally have an auxilary marine battery installed in my passenger side battery box. I am good for about 14 hours of TV or laptop use just using a lil 300 watt inverter. Now I admit I am hard on batteries and replace them more often then the average driver due to the draining and recharging but I consider that a better alternative then idling.
Also, having a reefer I sometimes just start that up for awhile when I want to add a charge to the batteries.
You can also attach a low voltage warning device to avoid draining yer batteries too low.
I also used to carry an extra fully charged battery in case I screwed up and let my batteries get a bit too low, then just jump off it. Of course if you run em dead that won't work.
Now, some will say thats hard on the alternator, the draining and charging, which is true, but I have only replaced one alternator since 1999.

 

[Broompilot]

Funny you bring this up as I was talking to Terry about this yesterday. This was my solution, as the SOB pulled up next to me at 6:00 AM.

At 8:00 I keep a jar of Vaseline, would have loved to of stuck around when he touched that door handle. I know it was mean, being woken up on a Sunday morning at that hour and not being able to go back to sleep deserved a little bit of creativity on my part. Its not like I cut a tire just some payback.

 

[Broompilot]

Oh I forgot to mention the knock on his door just I pulled out.

 

[mrgoodtude]

Hey Broom, that also works real good for the yucksters that park in the fuel island when grabbing a sandwich and taking a shower!

 

[ATeam]

>Funny you bring this up as I was talking to Terry about this
>yesterday. This was my solution, as the SOB pulled up next
>to me at 6:00 AM.
>
>At 8:00 I keep a jar of Vaseline, would have loved to of
>stuck around when he touched that door handle. I know it
>was mean, being woken up on a Sunday morning at that hour
>and not being able to go back to sleep deserved a little
>bit of creativity on my part. Its not like I cut a tire
>just some payback.

What exactly did the other driver do to deserve the payback you administered?

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Personally, I would've used axle grease. It's a lot harder to get completely off. Better yet, get some scented KY. It'll make him think.

Last couple of nights I had to climb up in the cab to see if the key was on. Turns out the trucks next to us were idling so hard, it was shaking our truck, and felt like we were running.

 

[Mudflap]

I have to ask that same question to you Broompilot, exactly what damage did that other driver do to you other than wake you up to cause you to retaliate with what could be considered a criminal act? Remember in most places it is still not illegal to idle a truck, and in those places you have got to expect it to happen sooner or later regardless if others are idling or not. If you want to avoid it altogether, better find someplace else to park. Many truck stops also have video cameras watching or scanning their lots, so I'd give malicious acts a second thought before placing anything on or touching another driver's truck in any way again. Would you want someone pouring a bottle of pee on your fuel tank because it was polished so bright it blinded them in the mirror when backing in?

Also consider that those gensets/generators/apu's make noise too, some are just about if not more annoying than reefers or trucks that idle, sounding like loud lawn mowers. I avoid parking in truck stops altogether now so I don't have to idle and can avoid the serious noise pollution at them. Denny

 

[Dynamite 1]

very inmature thing to do. a truck going by to get fuel could have woke you just as easily, or simply someone next to you that had been shut off starting up their truck. you should probably be thankful the owner didnt catch you. i know if i caught you doing that to my truck id hand your a## to you in a basket. never mess w/anothers trk

 

[Broompilot]

#1 Rattling the Whole Truck as to turn up an idle to an absolutly unecessary high rpm, no excuse for the vibration for Starters. Blocking my truck in as his trailer was actually in my parking area in front of my truck. I backed in a good distance. Thus being respectfull of others privacy with the APU.

#2 As for APUs at least they only humm not shake the truck next to mine. It was for crying out loud, low in the mid 50s no one needed to idle a truck that high in those temps. And if I wanted to be really mean I could have just stuck a knife in some tires. So hows that for being mean!

I am sure he got the drift, and as if any of you have never heard of another driver complaining about inconsiderate jerks which obviously this was one.

Have SOME RESPECT FOR OTHERS PRIVACY AT 6:00 AM. You know just because I can listen to my radio loud does mean I have to either or honking a horn everytime I leave a truck stop.

I did no lasting damage to a truck.

 

[Broompilot]

And Dyno no a truck fueling would not have done that, only an inconsiderate jerk. The truck was parked on the very far side of the lot, but being to lazy to straighten ones trailer and block in another truck is not being respectfull and than to crank up an idle for no reason. ##### me off once OK I can accept that but do two things I have no guilt feelings. And as for the camera yeah right go ahead prosicute, heck they cant even keep prositutes off the lots.

Just use common sense people, respect other people especially when they are sleeping at an hour when the entire truck stop is sleeping.

OK so the polite thing to do is go knock on his door "Excuse me sir but your idle has woken me up, could you turn it down." Yeah right.

 

[RichM]

The thing that blows my mind is when someone come into a T/S roaring away in 3rd gear at 20 mph then hits the Jake brake to let eveyone know that they have arrived.

 

[Mudflap]

Broom, I used to have respect for you and enjoyed reading your posts-but that has ended. I think you have quickly become a pompous foolhardy man who is heading down a path of getting himself into some serious personal or legal trouble in this business.

-Mudflap-

 

[heel4you]

I wish my idling days were over. Since just starting out in Expediting we cannot afford to purchase a generator. Having said this, I hope that we are not treated badly just because we idle when it is 90 degrees outside. That would seem very cruel to me. Seems like the people with generator's need to understand that others may just not be able to afford the $7000.00 to $10,000.00.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[graywolf71]

>#1 Rattling the Whole Truck as to turn up an idle to an
>absolutly unecessary high rpm, no excuse for the vibration
>for Starters.

Have you ever thought about the "idle cut off's", the screwed up little devices that cut the engine if it isn't idled up? No i guess you didn't.

My truck has "opt idle", it starts and stops the enigne through out the night to charge the batteries and adjust the temp in the truck. I suppouse you would make me shut my truck off to suit your sleep patterns. Some of us don't like to sleep in low 50 temps, i like being warm, so i "opt idle" my truck.
My suggestion is for you to sleep where no trucks park or you'll never be happy.
Sorry i was blunt but i speak my mind.
And please drivers don't be childern and mess up someone else's truck just becuase your upset...talk to them for god sakes.

 

[rode2rouen]

I wish someone would tell the dolt parked next to me at the MA TPK plaza in Lee,MA on I-90!!!
A Canadian with his rig pumped up on hi-idle and the fan cycling every few minutes. It's all of 70 degrees and looking to be a beautious night.

What's the proper etiquette for asking a driver who's sleeping to shut it off??


Rex

 

[TeamCaffee]

We know of people who did this on purpose just to see if they can pick a fight. They are usually not in their right mind and you knocking on their door in something they dont even consider a truck is just asking for problems. My suggestion is to move or use ear plugs. You hear of to many stories where someone is killed in a parking lot or in a rest area. Be Safe