Why do people needlessly idle ?

Why ask why?

 

I need some more popcorn.

 

I hope where you live you are a member of a home owners association. That way every one where you live has the exact same house. I know you would be uncomfortable with people that are different from you.

 

To make you really mad I drive and auto. No shifting for me.

 

..and "atypically" we tankers, as well. Looked almost like @peterbilt_2005 's first picture. No cell service to speak of, either. Nobody on CB .. Delivering 6122 to Auglaize county road guys in Ohio, I had to pump into the actual "road guy's" little spreader, and the full tank I had for them was four runs up and down their little roads, spreading, chipping, rolling, etc. It was about an 8 hour unload (luckily only did that for 2 days!) and it was HOT. The heat from the tank and the sun beating in my windows, Yeah, I idled. All day, both days.
Can't speak for the OTR guys, but back in the day when I did run OTR, it was all about climate control, comfort, and company approved.
I really wanted to stay out of this p'ing match, but seeing PB'05's pic just took me back.
To each their own, I guess.
There is no such thing as 'NEEDLESSLY' idling, in my book.
Carry on, drivers; be safe!

 

I replaced my batteries January 2016...all 3 of them. One had a dead cell on Tuesday. I had shut it off at a receiver while I untarped the load to get it ready to back inside to be unloaded. Got in to fire it up...nothing. Battery bank showed 12.6 volts, and drew down to 7 when I'd hit the key...low enough to reset my radio clock & presets. Found another driver willing to give me a jump. I carry 20' long 2 gauge cables...VERY nice ones...and this other truck running with his 3 extra batteries STILL wasn't enough to overcome whatever issue was going on with these 2 MONTH OLD batteries. Disconnected from the trailer and had the yard jockey give me a pull to get it running. With it running, my altertnator was putting out 13.99 volts. With the batteries all hooked up, I was showing 13.99, 13.98, and 12.7 volts. I disconnected the 12.7 volt battery. Rest of the week she fired up just fine on those other 2 batteries. Have another new one to replace the bad one now.

Point is, even with a perfectly good charging system AND brand new batteries, stuff can AND DOES happen. Don't ###-u-me that just because a truck fails to start once in a blue moon that it is a pile of junk. It is a piece of machinery, and like ALL mechanical objects, stuff can and will eventually fail. Sometimes because it's old & worn out. Sometimes while new due to a manufacturing defect. Point is, things can and do break, and some of us would rather not have to sit there waiting on a service truck to show up. Sure, it might be a 1-in-a-million shot for it to not refire. But you know what? There is a ZERO percent chance my truck won't refire if I didn't shut it off. So if I'm out where I'm on my own, it stays running. If I'm not planning to be there very long, it stays running. It gets shut down at home, or at a motel for my 10 hour break, or if I'm somewhere with helpful folks nearby. What little fuel I burn idling is cheaper than what it could cost being stranded somewhere with a dead truck.

 

Apples to ORANGES AND TANGERINES !
No, but when I go to sleep at night (or day, as my schedule has me,) I SURE DON'T TURN OFF my central a/c and/or heat, because it hums!

Many of these OTR guys live in their trucks, and the idling is their AC, heat, and white noise!

 

Our distributor is kinda small so when we need one of you guys to come and stand by while we chip roads looking like @peterbilt_2005 picture we do appreciate that you will be sitting there at least half the day

 

They took all of the sulfur out of the diesel in 2007. The diesel exhaust is cleaner than a prius.

 

Well there you go Jumping to conclusions.
I seen a Dr Phil book when I was at a Chapters book store.