do swift trucks have apu's

I have a truck that idles for just 5 minutes then shuts off automatically. Supposedly when the A/C running full blast at shutoff keeps going til the batteries draw down and the truck will restart itself. UHUH. A/C pumped hot air all night after shutdown. What is the trick to make it work? I left the key on, batteries were about 11.4 volts in the morning. Should I plug in a whole bunch of appliances to really draw the batteries down so it goes into survival mode?

 

if you have a newer volvo, when indicator on dash says idol shutdown step on brake and it should say cancelled and keep running until you turn the key off.

when truck is not running and battery gets to low it will turn the power outlets off so truck should still start

 

I got a lecture from my DM for my "Driver Controlled Idle" time awhile back. Said it was excessive. Which, it kind of was. It resulted from me spending several days in some really cold weather in Kansas/Oklahoma back in March. Truck ran non stop for several days (driving and idle). Some of that was spent taking a 34 at our OKC terminal.

I just looked at him and said "Sorry, not gonna freeze to death for the companies bottom line".

"Well you could have used the trucks Opti-Idle"

"I did, how else do you think I kept it idling for so long!".


Annnnyyywayy...

Notarps has some valid points. Yeah, it's possible to see people from other companies doing bone-head things. It's just noticed more when a Swift driver does it. I am often ashamed that my door says "Swift" on it because of the treatment that comes with.

I got yelled at by some stupid twit at the K-mart in Billings, MT. I'd done nothing wrong other than do what I needed to do to avoid hitting anything in a tight space (go figure?). She yelled at me for repositioning and blah blah blah. Ripped into her. Anyway, she apologized and wound up saying "I yelled at you because I thought you were going to be like other Swift drivers and take 30 minutes to get backed into the door".

"Well Ma'aam.... I'm sorry it took me less than a minute, including repositioning so I didn't whack my rear view on a tree branch...."


At my next stop.. K-mart in Cody, WY, the manager told me about a Swift driver that banged into a concrete post right by the door, and KNOWING he'd hit it; continued to back up and scrape his trailer along the post all the way up to the tandems.

Lets see.. I'm parked at our drop area in the overflow at the pilot in Stanfield, OR. I watch a fellow Swifty almost hit another trailer as he backed into a spot. This trailer was on his sight side.

It's "fun" to watch the antics at our terminals. A guy was backing into a parking spot. He was failing miserably at it, and hit one of our trailers with the arse end of his. He apparently didn't understand why his truck didn't want to go backwards anymore. Looked like he was trying to push the other trailer out of his way.

I also love when you hear "BANG" and see a trailer shake when someone is hooking to it. Some of these jokers think you need to hit that kingpin as hard as you can to get your fifth wheel jaws to latch. Or the ten pull "tug test". Ok dude, you're hooked. If you weren't you'd not have just pulled the trailer forward three feet against the set brakes.

No longer do I enjoy picking up pre-loaded trailers at DC's or T-calls at our yards. I fear the kind of condition of a lot of the trailers that my fellow Swiftys allow to get loaded with freight. First load after I came off home time earlier this month started me off with having to take the trailer directly to the shop. Some dink had dropped off a trailer with bad brakes and a broken door hinge. You know- the Hostler at the Campbells Soup DC in Sacramento is CERTAINLY going to give that trailer a good inspection before he puts it into a door to be loaded right? Right? RIGHT? (Answer: #$#% no he's not)

I watch some of these stellar drivers hook trailers. They bang up to it, hook up the pigtails, check the lights and then drive off. They don't take the short amount of time it requires to check the condition of the brakes and tires. Oh yeah lets not forget the general condition of that dented up, scratched up, rust bucket trailer they just hooked.

Yep. I drive for Swift. No, I'm not a super seasoned vet. I've made a rookie mistake or two (well, cuz I'm still a little green). However I have not done any of the things that I see some of my supposedly "seasoned" counterparts do.

 

Is that truck Opti Idle equiped?

I believe the set up is, Start engine, Tranny Neutral high gear lever up, truck on, hood closed, tractor brake set then hit bunk override switch. Set temp on bunk selector. The truck should start and stop to maintain temp. If you bump any of the above listed things, it returns to regular idle which is programed to shut off after 5 min.

If I'm off, one of the guys will correct me. I've been out of OptiIdle rigs for 10 months. Give it a shot!

 

I idle......I'm in menopause so the choice is: idle and run the a/c or kill someone.

 

ROFL!! Nana, you have been missed, dear lady!

 

Yeah, fully understand what Nana is saying. Except the menopause part. (Men don't get womenopause yannow???)

That was my point to my DM about freezing to death. The company and DOT beat the SAFETY thing into the ground.. So.... how safe am I as a driver if I only slept 2 or 3 hours out of 24 because I was cold as #%#% or was sweating like crazy. Probably not safe.

Honestly, I think a company that has "blah blah spending power to purchase top of the line equipment" (taken from one of the "on hold" propaganda messages while waiting to get a hold of a real person in Phoenix)- The company should have been on board with APU's.. Rather than opti idle and Wabasco heaters.

Sorry chaps.. Not going to die of heat stroke to save you a few bucks.

 

You've got it mostly right.

Volvo w/ Cummins: Idle engine. Engage Parking Brake. Turn on Cruise Control. Engage clutch, put transmission in gear, then neutral. Adjust thermostat in bunk.

Freightliner w/ Detroit: Idle engine. Engage Parking Brake. Put gear shift range selector in high. Set cruise control, and adjust thermostat in bunk.

Opti-Idle in the Volvo w/ Cummins is a little more straight forward but less adjustability than the Detroit.

 

I haven't idled my truck much as the A/C keeps crapping out. If you are going to idle send a free form message to your DM. I did that first time I needed to idle. I was on my 10 hour break and it was 102* in the parking lot at the shipper according to my dash board thermometer.

No optie idle on my '07 Volvo. It does have the Wabasto no idle bunk heater. Great thing! I was in Green Bay WI and had the cab at 85-90* in 27* cold.

Company policy is 90*? You can idle. (they still might give you grief) Turn to Maxair and super cool the cab and shut it off. Get up and restart when you get hot.

I have 2 fans. I clip them to the cab vents and have them blowing in. I can position them in the hole.

APU's are high maintenance, some cost $10,000 installed.

AFA 12 volt coolers? My Coleman is good. It won't fit uner my bunk. I have heard there is one available at the Bass Pro shops for $200 and fits under the bunk, is larger and more durable.

Experienced guys tell me when the fan craps on mine to get a computer fan from Radio Shack.

 

I see all posts here are 4 years ago. Swift up to speed on apu's on there trucks yet