No APU, 5 minute idle, 90+ degrees - is this legal?

For years, trucks never had AC. Neither did a lot of homes until the last 20 years or so. I think people are just getting weak.

FWIW, my truck doesn't have AC. It did at one time (before I bought it), but since it didn't work, I removed it....compressor, condenser, dryer, lines, brackets...all of it. Not going to spend money fixing something I don't use. Even here at the house, I don't run the AC...might have run it 1 or 2 days total out of the last 3 or 4 years...but even then, it gets set to 90-95 degrees, which is enough to pull the humidity out of the air without running constantly. I don't like feeling as though I just stepped into a walk-in freezer when I get home, and I don't like feeling like I just opened the oven door when I walk out the front door to leave.

So yeah, someone about the AC not working probably won't get much sympathy from me. Where would we be right now if generations before us had refused to work for half the year because they were "too hot"? AC is a luxury, not a necessity.

 

I never had AC until 1980 and drove 20 years without it. Would I do it today? NO!!!!!!!!! One big difference back then is you could find a place to be by yourself and sleep with windows down and sleeper door open, something I would have concerns about doing anywhere today. A big difference between being off by yourself and sitting in a truck stop surrounded by hundreds of idling trucks.

 

I would call the safety dept and tell them that you are not going to move the truck until they get it fixed. You cant sleep that way and thats it. The problem with todays drivers is they have no balls to stick up for themselves.

 

I think you need to do something, but I don't think safety is the way to go. This is a comfort issue, get with dispatch and work your way up the operations food chain. If you don't get a response check yourself into a hotel and fire out some applications.

 

Lets just tell the truth, you dont have enough money to fix your A/C, like most of the $.90/mi owner ops out here... LOL

 

I had to do that when I was sitting in Calexico waiting for my trailer to come back with a load from across the border. My a/c died and it was 116 degrees in the shade. I told them I couldn't sleep and if I couldn't sleep, I couldn't drive. I had to persist with it for a few minutes before they agreed to get me a room for the night.

 

My truck would stay parked if the best I could do was $.90/mile. I've taken days off in the past when the best dispatch could do was $1.25/mile. I'm not out here for any other reason than to make money...and you won't do that running for fuel money. While it's still not where I'd LIKE it to be, I averaged $3.03/mile in April. It paid the bills and put a little bit in my pocket.

I've just got better things to do with my money than spend it repairing and maintaining something I don't use. When I drove wreckers, I remember the operations manager seeing me pull onto the yard on a particularly hot day with the windows rolled down....he asked me if the AC worked in the truck and I told him I didn't know....hadn't tried it. In all the years I spent as a company driver, I have NEVER pulled a truck into any shop over the AC not working. I've got a job to do, and AC isn't necessary....certainly not worth missing work.

 

When I worked for Werner I drove an "07" Freightshaker classic. I had to deal with that idle control biz until somebody told me how to bypass it. What this person told me to do was when that idle shutoff light came on hit the brakes, release and qucikly afterwards hit the fuel pedal. Then it idles w/o any problems after that. Good luck.

 

There's a good chance there's nothing wrong with the truck, meaning that's the way its programmed.