What cracks me up is the ones who simply say, "Roll your windows down!" Yeah, let's do that, then watch how many trucks get broken into. Many companies mandate keeping the truck locked whenever you are out of it and when sleeping. Hell, some even mandate the use of steering locks for security. How secure are you when you have to sleep with the windows open? And that doesn't even take into account the increased noise. Or the fact that having the windows open doesn't do a damn thing for you if there's no wind? Oh right, buy a fan!

Now, I'm willing to work with a company to keep my idle time down. I shut the truck down whenever I can. When I worked for Swift I had opti-idle on my volvo (or whatever volvo's name for it is...) which does take some getting used to. For the first 2 months with that truck I did have to grab the occasional nap or extra coffee to stay awake. But even then, I had to really work to keep idle times under 20% since I ran I40 alot during the summer.

Honestly, truckers, trucking companies, and legislators need to work TOGETHER on this issue. At the moment though, we have very little meaningful dialogue and alot of commandments (from the companies and legislators) and ######## (from the drivers.)

What I'd like to see are some alternative methods besides idling, APUs and fans that folks have used to cool their truck.

I know when I was at orientation with Melton the facilitator there used to be an L/O with them. He said one thing he did to keep his truck cool was to pop his hood open and leave it that way for a bit to vent the heat from the engine quicker. Not sure if that works or not, but it sounds like it might? Any word from yall experienced truckers?

This was an old thread--but i enjoyed reading it. People dont really like being hot do they???? And the ole' timers telling us how it was in the old days might wana take all their medication back to the drug store too, cuz they couldnt keep blood pressure and blood sugar down in the ole' days either. Im just sayin..... we progress for a reason.... civilization....
But, if your company gets on your but for idling..... you know theres a fuse that can make you have an idle time that meets all company policies. You just kinda have to break a company policy when you pull it. TEEHEEHEE -- im just sayin

Big companies just keep turning the screw to shave a little bit of gold here and there.

Not idling was unheard of just a few years back, suddenly its the wave of the future.

Those big fat cats with their top hats sitting behind their mahogany desks want you to save some fuel so they can hop in their gulf stream jet and burn a couple of thousand gallons of jet fuel for their weekend trip to the bahamas while you sweat like a pig in your cage.

I just got back from a trip to the west and back. Montreal to Vancouver no heat problems. It was cold every night. I wish I had brought my winter duvet. Van to LA. It was cool the first night in Oregon but real hot the next in Calif. There may be anti idling laws but there sure were a lot of rigs running in the truck stop I stayed at. The next night I stayed way up in the highland of Utah and again it was cool. The next couple of days in Colarado Nebraska and Iowa it was hot as anything so I idled away to my hearts content. Michigan was cool and then I was back in the great white north were you need AC at night 3 times per year.

Oops, sorry for the thread necromancy! Just started reading this hoping for some good tips and saw very little of that so thought I'd add my $.0015 (after taxes, fuel, insurance, etc....)

Yes, my husband does this all the time. It really helps to cool down the truck after running all day.

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APU's are nice...but above a certain outside temp they become ineffective:

For instance I am here in Mo...Its 92 parked in the shade of another rigs trailer...

and the cab temp is a muggy 82.

Yesterday in Texas the cab temp was around 93 inside throughout the night...managed to get about 3 hrs of restless sleep due to tossing and turning.

The human body does not do well in high temps as far as sleep goes.

I am hoping its an adaptive thing....I will evolve into sleeping in high heat....seriously...this is what I am hoping

Or you could make sure you pull a reefer so you can sleep inside it during the summer...

Ah a crisp 55 degrees inside even when its 110 outside in Palm Springs.