Sleeping in truck in winter

So Im in a freightliner from CR england and im finding myself in the snow and the cold is closing in. i have no other way to keep warm other than to start the engine EVERY 5 MINUTES! IS THERE NO SETTING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM!?!?!

 

So im pretty much stuck in my truck here in the winter in a freightliner for cr england overnight, and its snowing pretty hard. i cant sleep because the cold is closing fast. I have to TURN THE ENGINE ON EVERY 5 MINUTES! IS THERE NO SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM? Do i really have to stay up all night turning this stupid engine on evry 5 minutes bc it keeps shutting down. theres no special button on my dash tht makes this obvious no APU er wutever, this is a CR England freightliner truck, its not bad but THIS is bad. Are there any tricks or tips or am i already doing the best possible course of action.

 

Call your dispatch or shop, if there is a way they should know. Sucks what these mega carriers do to you guys.

 

Turn cruise on
When engine is idling push resume. It should idle up and idle forever. Depends how strict the settings are. There will be some sort of trick to it. Maybe pull red button and push yellow button. Most all of them have some kind of trick.

 

Uncouple the drivelin ujoints at the differential and put truck in gear with brakes set.

 

Your eld will think you are driving
Truck stop=hotel California?

 

Well.. I can share a couple stories, I'll try to be brief with a few for you to consider.

Winter to me is a simple darwin problem solved with a ocean of fuel. Meaning that 330 gallons go into both tanks every 30 hours or less REGARDLESS OF COST. THAT truck does NOT shut off at 10 above or below. When it's 50 below with a 40 mph wind and higher gusts you have to put the trailer into the wind to keep your radiator storing heat long enough to get it to your sleeper and cab. It might be only 60 in that cab and sleeper. It's beyond the scope of this post to try and describe how rapidly heat is lost by the coolant or by the transfer hose below the cab floor that feeds your sleeper heat output fan in the far corner. It is insulated. But when it's that cold... you will get what you get with that engine roaring at 1500 idle set.

Fuel = life.

With that said. There is a way we use to put into the sleeper. First a quality matress. Below that is two sets of unwrapped emergency silver body heat blankets between matress and bottom of sleeper box. Then, the matress has a set of cotton blankets and high count sheets of good quality as usual. On top goes two sets of rectangular sleeping bags that are as big as you can find in any supply store for camping. Rated to -30 if possible. They have to be rectangular and long enough to enclose your body length. Not all of us are just 6 foot, there are some who get past 6.5 feet. You do not want the form fitting sleeper bags. Those things are annoying.

On top of the two sleeper bags go a set of 4 mexican blankets, my name for them. They are sold in petro store, you will see them instantly as a black and white woven blanket set with tassels here and there. Very thick. 4 of those on top of the sleeping bags provide a chance to build a literal igloo or nest that you can bury yourself in and maintain your body heat PROVIDED you have cases of water to hydrate from (Water boosts and maintains your metabolism and blood flow for heat output. Without it, you dehydrate and get cold then once you start shivering, you are beyond a point of no return and cannot get warm without a proper fire, shelter (Hotel with heat) and food, drink etc.

You also learn to pace yourself that you work with just what you need to move boxes for example. YOU DO NOT toss boxes and sweat. That is the whole point of pacing, you work slow, you take MORE TIME to do the same job than usual. Dispatch will scream. But let em. You DO NOT SWEAT if at all possible. In that kind of winter cold, to sweat is to die because your core heat will go bye bye really fast.

Exposed skin. You wear layers, I don't care if you whine about suiting up in that sleeper. In my day we had to do it on the dog house with about three feet clearance on the back. You kids have stand up castles to dress up in. Nice ones too. No complaining allowed here. You start off with one layer for yourself, add more layers as you go all the way to the outer coverall jacket and pants system designed to resist wind, ice, rain (Water proofing is a must here...) and able to have a variety of fastenings you can work with gloves on. Do not run out and waste a thousand dollars on fancy name brand gloves, those things are crappy. They get wet, your hands get wet then cold and numb and kicks your body into shrinking it's blood from your arm and legs into the core next thing you know you are shivering and cold. No good to anyone.

Googles for your eyes. If it's cold enough to pull tears from your eyes, they can freeze those tears just the same. You protect your eyes and face. Human children below 14 years old literally freeze at -68 or lower because they cannot breathe and retain that warmth through the nose to the lungs well. It will kill them very fast by exposure. YOU the big adult will drop dead just as fast without protection.

If you are corraled in a winter blizzard storm, you do NOT go outside. Because your body has one leg that is slightly different than the other. The result would be walking in a circle believe it or not. If you do not have that row of trucks to guide you to and from the truckstop you will lose your tractor and perish out there and what a waste it will be.

Metal gets brittle when it's cold. It will be like a glass. SNAP! You wont believe it and call me a liar until you see it for yourself. I hope you never do see it. Having a front drag link or tie rod fail when it's seriously cold means a tow. And believe it or not, they will not come out with a tow until the storm is over. If Wyoming is any teacher, there are going to be dozens like yourself who will have to sit and wait.

Back to fuel.

Fill at 1/2 to 2/3 full. NEVER allow that tank or tanks to go below 1/2 at any cost. I don't care if you fuel three times a day and night logging as you go. FILL EM and keep them full. It's about 4 days and nights for you worth of life potentially if something really goes wrong in a remote area. Life means power to communicate with satellite etc. Even that is not a sure thing.

If you park at a place in snow. You run the truck back and forth several times as you accumulate your required sleeper rest. You do NOT log this at all. You get up in 2 hours or three, move the truck back and forth a few times to pack the accumulating snow down and make a proper bed for your rig. And do it again several times in the 10 hours of your rest. That way you will NEVER have to shovel.

You will also park with a slight downgrade so you can get out. Also ideally have enough room to slide out of there and not hit the next row. You might not be able to stop on it trying to get out.

Parking a big truck in the cold requires some thought about your brakes. If they are at all wet they will FREEZE INSTANTLY to your wheel drums. Not even god himself will get those brakes loose. You have to crawl under there with a ball peen hammer and beat them loose. BUT NOT before chocking your wheels and leaving at least either your tractor brakes or trailer brakes always set. NEVER EVER release all brakes and then crawl under with a hammer. That big bad semi once it gets loose will try to kill you.

Ive said enough. There is more behind that believe it or not. But I think for this post, it's plenty to get you started.

 

The advice about overriding the anti idle should work.

If it's dosnt there's a trick I've done. Get a hold of an adjustable walking cane. Extend it just long enough to prop against the gas pedal and brace the handle end against the seat. Get enough pressure to rev the engine high enough to keep running.

To blazes with your company's fuel consumption policy. Freezing weather can mean life or death.

 

My trainer didn't show me how to operate the bunk heater, either. You probably have one, it will be in the sleeper and probably say Espar or Webasto on the panel.

 

Are you Able to wipe your own ###