Follow me through Central Refrigerated training

**Arkansas Frost** · 08.08.2012

Well if you barely stop, of course your idle is down. But there's not much I can do when they restart me in nowheresville, LA. I have too sleep sometimes. It's also rough when you get short runs because you sit a the shipper for hours in some places. I'm thinking of rigging up some kind of redneck AC with brass tubing an ice bucket and a fan.

**jr831** · 08.08.2012

Hello i will be attending the TDA in Fontana CA for CRS this monday. I was wondering what is like for a person who has their CDL permit already. Would i just sit in a class room for a week or will they start training me in the trucks? Thanks in advanced for your answers.

**passion4polishing** · 08.09.2012

I almost never idle at shippers, unless I'm trying to get a nap and it's unbearably hot.

**PSUMoose** · 08.09.2012

Originally Posted by jr831

Hello i will be attending the TDA in Fontana CA for CRS this monday. I was wondering what is like for a person who has their CDL permit already. Would i just sit in a class room for a week or will they start training me in the trucks? Thanks in advanced for your answers.

You will be sitting in class, but they have a lot of videos they want you to watch, and it may be a good refresher, also when the class goes to the DMV to get their permits, you get the day off. If you have experieance you may just sit through orentation and then go out with a trainer.

Originally Posted by Arkansas Frost

Well if you barely stop, of course your idle is down. But there's not much I can do when they restart me in nowheresville, LA. I have too sleep sometimes. It's also rough when you get short runs because you sit a the shipper for hours in some places. I'm thinking of rigging up some kind of redneck AC with brass tubing an ice bucket and a fan.

I sit about 5-6 hrs a day, truck never idles, unless it's 95+ which between midnight and 5am does not usaly happen. I have one of those clipon 12vt fans they sell at the truck stops for $15-20 and its great. Clip it about 2 feet from your head and it osilates so you stay cool. Also I just sleep on my bed, I dont get under the covers. I don't get what some of my students are thinking. I had one that would sleep in a mummy bag, with a hoodie on, the guy I have now has a down comfitor, they complaine that its hot. Well yah if you dress and bed up like your going snow camping it's going to be hot.

Another help I have is I run a lot in CA and they do not allow ideling. I have an idelair account, but the ac only works if you sit in the passenger seat, otherwise it lowers the temp maybe 5 degrees. But you get ac power, satelite tv, and internet for $2/hr, not too bad. cheaper than ideling.

**passion4polishing** · 08.09.2012

I have to run nights a lot and sleep when it's 90-100 outside. I set my optiidle for 81 with 7 degree split, so it doesn't idle that much. A good nights sleep is worth more to me than 2 gallons of fuel, especially when I'll be fight circadian rhythms the next day. When I sleep nights I open windows, no idle needed. Even with my idle, running on brand new drives I'm getting 7.6, and new drives cost nearly 1mpg.

**passion4polishing** · 08.09.2012

Also, most places in ca let you idle if you have a clean idle sticker

**PSUMoose** · 08.11.2012

I know about the clean idle sticker, but the students don't. That way I can be like "blame CA" and not "I'm a cheap sob" I tell them at the end. " Hay I just heard if you have a clean idle sticker you can idle in CA"

**passion4polishing** · 08.11.2012

not a bad idea. my idle is under 1% right now (thank you cold front!) and I'm up to 7.7mpg. There are a few localities in CA where you CANNOT idle, even with a clean idle sticker, which is BS in my opinion. If someone leaves a dog in an unairconditioned car you get hit with cruelty to animals, but truck drivers are on a lower echelon than dogs.
Some trainees dont get that its all money coming out the exhaust, and being an o/o is about keeping costs down. BTW, i signed my lease 2 weeks ago, and its been going great so far. I'm actually running better miles than when i was a company driver. 3600 last week, and a good shot at well over 3k this week.

DISCLAIMER to newbies: YMMV, literally. I had to go over my DM's head to start getting run hard.

**kws6011** · 08.18.2012

Well here we go it's Saturday and I am on the bus headed to SLC to start training on Monday. Will see how things look when I get there and hopefully my iPad will connect up to the wifi. Will update as time allows.

**Arkansas Frost** · 08.18.2012

I've started running early mornings again whenever possible. 1. I hit truckstops at 7-9pm, right before they fill up. 2. Been up north so I turn on the AC full blast for maybe an hour. Then it's cool enough to sleep all night. 3. I'm getting use to being a little hot during the day at shippers. If its unbearable I'll go puddle around inside and try to keep my money out of the vending machines by having my own sodas and water with me. Getting to be under 20%, so I feel good about it now. Definitely getting the APU when I lease though. Some places I've been it's 103 at 2am.