Shipper/receiver telling you to turn off your truck to get loaded

he was city, i was linehaul...there would be times going up/down the NJTP, by the chemical plants and that rancid smell would knock anyone out cold....

rolled up windows, and a/c on did not always keep the smells out...

 

Some states do not allow idling or have a 5 minute limit. Some companies feel that they need to enforce that law. The law applies whether you are docked, or waiting to get a dock.

 

It's funny.... Those states that have an idle law. They also have an animal law. Just bring a dog or cat with you. Show the animal. They forget about idling. In other words... You can cook or freeze to death. But not the dog.
I've been at wallyworld DC's. They want you to drop the trailer at the dock. Park in front of it. Shut the truck down. Turn the keys into the office. .... no kidding.

 

And some companies, like Walmart, have have been fined because they didn't enforce anti-idle laws.

As far as I've been able to find this is just an urban legend. I've not seen any laws that allow an animal exemption to the idle laws.
That said, I've also never heard a creditable source get a citation for idling either.

 

About 4 years ago I was taking my 10 at the Tehachapi Love's in California. I had to wake up around 4AM for an early delivery and personally witnessed DOT officers issuing citations to older trucks who were idling and didn't have the clean idle stickers affixed to their trucks. That's the one and only time I've seen or heard of it happening.

 

100% the APU makes the difference for me. Turn on the air, take in an episode of something on Netflix and if it's a long unload like tires maybe sneak in a nap while collecting detention. Last week they told me up front minimum 2 hours so I walked to the local café and had breakfast.

 

I used to love to go sit and relax while going through a long load/unload I once just dropped my trailer and bobtailed to a truck stop and ate. The yard man spotted my trailer and they had my cell number and called me when the trailer was ready. Heck even in places that would not let me leave like that I took walks. A lot of the Walmart DCs have driver lounges, I used to take my laptop grab a coke and watch a movie, or if there were other drivers in there just sit and shoot the breeze.

 

I tried shooting the breeze once. I couldn't hit a ###### thing.