In The News

Pennsylvania's Sleeper Berth Exemption For Idling Expires

Starting May 1, long-haul truck drivers in Pennsylvania are no longer allowed to idle during rest periods, as the sleeper-berth exemption of the state's Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act has expired.

Effective in February 2009, the law included an exemption for the purpose of air conditioning or heating during a rest period if the outside temperature was below 40 degrees or over 75 degrees.

According to reports by The Sentinel, the state implemented the exemption to give truck drivers time to install devices not tied to the engine. Trucks will now be limited to no more than five minutes of idling in any continuous 60-minute period.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will post signs along the turnpike and other interstate highways reminding drivers of the anti-idling regulation. The PTC has also started construction on a Truck Space Electrification facility at its New Stanton Service Plaza, which will provide service towers equipped with modules that fit into truck cab windows to provide heat, air conditioning, Internet, TV, and electrical power while the truck's engine remains off. Initially, 28 parking spaces will be fitted with TSE equipment.

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