Anyone using a portable propane heater?

Its just sad, you would think they would at least throw the driver a knit cap, some mittens and 12v sleeping bag all that they could probably buy in bulk for $10.00.
I wonder if any drivers have died from exposure or heat stroke.

 

[QUOTE="Hang - Man";3679560]Its just sad, you would think they would at least throw the driver a knit cap, some mittens and 12v sleeping bag all that they could probably buy in bulk for $10.00.
I wonder if any drivers have died from exposure or heat stroke.[/QUOTE]

Not sure about directly, but fatigue is one of the biggest killers on the road. Any driver who can't sleep during their 10 hour break is an accident waiting to happen.

 

I know there will be some nay-sayers here but.... While FMCSA does have a bunch of restrictions on heaters, think about this.... If you are parked and its below zero how many random inspections do you think you'll be getting? I had this exact conversation with an Ohio DOT trainer after reading a thread on here a couple of years ago. He pretty much said if it was him he'd use whatever he wanted if he was parked and store the heater in the side box when driving.

My feeling is any company playing those games needs a lesson in economics. 10 gallons of fuel at $4 per = $40. Cheapest roadside I've ever seen was $100 plus time lost... sounds like a good way to lose money.

I rarely idle in the cold, my gear is plenty to keep me warm well below zero as long as I'm out of the wind and dry. No heater required. If the company wouldn't allow me to idle to keep the truck warm... @@@@-em. Let it freeze up and they can pay for the roadside while I get a lot of extra rest.

Luckily my boss is paranoid about no starts, 5 degrees or lower and we are pretty much required to idle even if the truck is parked in the yard.

 

One of our drivers was found with this during an inspection and fined accordingly.

 

Not a valid argument. If the heater isn't in the passenger compartment during the inspection then there is no violation during the inspection... period. Drivers get ticketed all the time for things they shouldn't be.

 

He fought the ticket and lost. It was during an inspection and he got points as well.

 

Again not a valid argument. I've been ticketed before and lost despite being innocent.

 

I carried one. Never used it. Only had it on my truck in case it died like it did one night. Cold night, no motel, no way out of the cold till morning.

After he was caught with it, I took it out. Did not need to expose for points and fines.

 

I understand your point of view. They cant really ticket you for something that isn't there at all. My point of view differs. If I ran states were freezing to death was a real concern in a breakdown situation... I'll take the ticket and the csa points, right or wrong. The fume issue is a valid concern until you remember that many common fire detectors have a carbon monoxide detection function.

 

Since I took it out, I stopped running in the bitter north. Only running midwest to south now.