Ways to cut your idle...?
#21
Everyone stop the personal attacks please.
#22
Let us know how that gizmo works out, should you get one (or two or three).
#23
Board Regular
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: under a rock
Posts: 276
#24
Rookie
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 16
Crash course of low idle.
Turn the truck off...... Every time you exit the truck for 5min or more. Turn it off they only want you to lower idle the dont care if you abuse the starter. A little here a little there adds up. In the summer park in back row, on one end or the other avoid middle if possible. If you park in middle get lucky and park between two drp trls. As a matter of fact always park between two drop trls. You dont want two trucks at idle beside you. The lesser to two evils is just one truck beside you at idle. Cuts down on the heat and allows better air through the windows. Back row also gives you a chance to park under a tree or two, can be found in older truckstops. Also park in gravel or dirt parking spaces this will cut down on the heat that bounces up off pavement. Depends on what time you go to sleep, let truck idle with ac at full blast with little or no covers in the bunk, about half way through your break, you will be so cold it will wake you up, get up shut truck off, go back to sleep until you need to get up. Usually the truck will stay cold enough for you to finish. Now that is hardcore LOL Last but not least if they do get on you for idle time be nice promise not to do it again and then you keep doing whatever you want. Repeat if the say something again.Do not argue offer an excuse it wont work the numbers dont lie. Bean pusher only cares about numbers. Sorry, It wont happen again, Ill try harder is all you need to say. Then idle as needed.
#25
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: pod# 110 -Shared with a high risk in a red jumper.
Posts: 2,240
I can't beleive drivers tolerate this idle crap running aroung looking for shade in a truck stop ...LOL... and a cool place to park on a 95 -110 degree day especially with a big company like Swift if Swift wants low idle they need to start ordering their trucks with an APU ... The Apu on my truck blows ice cold air it has a hard time cirulating that air through the cab ,but a nice big fan plugged into the inverter takes care of that and even in 105 degree Phoenix ,AZ parked in mid day sun I was comfortable sleeping in the top bunk of the Volvo 780 I'm in . And Window screens do nothing on hot days other than let the smell of a piss soaked parking lot in the cab .
Also what gets me is these companies get down on a driver for idling for heat/ac like he or she is not doing therir job and is cheating the company ...But those giving the driver this hard time are doing so from a heated and air conditioned office ...lol
#26
All of tnmt's suggestions are good. On your way to wherever you are going to stop for the night, turn on the a/c full blast 30 min before you get there and then shut off the truck. You should be able to get 3-4hrs of sleep before you need to start the truck and idle with the a/c on high to cool it off again.
Shut your truck off every chance you get, including stop lights and in traffic. This off time will help to compensate for your idle to cool off the truck at night and also raise your mpg's. Putting ice in front of a fan is real old-time a/c. It sounds odd but really works and is how we did it for decades before Mr. Carrier invented A/C. In the end, I would never work for a company that gave me grief and threatened to fire me for idleing my truck so I could sleep in 90+ weather. They may huff and puff but I doubt they will fire you for it.
#27
when i started this thread, it was after i had received a notice saying that i was one of the higher idlers one week. Just a couple days ago, I got another message over my QC, this time it was "...we've been watching idle for 2 months, and you have a respectable 9%. 6200 drivers have 8%...blah blah blah....ask your DM what you can do to join 6200 drivers at 8%....".
Last time i got a message saying that, i had 12. I've dropped it 3% points. But as far as the previous post, if i turn it on full blast for 30 min. sure i can get 3-4 hours of good sleep, but then when i do wake up, i couldnt go abck to sleep since everything i'd be wearing and my sheets would all be wet with sweat.
#28
i dont think the sheets would be wet from sweat...probably from masturbating to you "girls of the KKK" mag.
__________________
Keep on rockin'
#29
#30
That is just too hilarious! I broke down and got me idleaire today, I am actually freezing cold, and it is HOT outside .
__________________
My Trucking Blog: http://matcattruckin.blogspot.com/ Website I am making for drivers: http://www.4thedriver.com As I sit looking all around, Confusion and uncertainty is all I found. The answers are there, But I do not know where. Optimistic and hopeful dreams, Are all I have so it seems. The future I do not know, So all I can do is take it slow. But I do know it will work out, So I wait and watch without a doubt. |
|