Ambient Sensors

Oh I plan to do just that if they put that thing in here before I get out of it. I don't idle when not in the truck but I don't spend much time out of it. Take today, been sitting in a home depot parking lot all night and day not starting my clock until I have a load. I got out to go eat at McDonalds and use the bathroom. Babysitting the Qualcomm waiting on a load, nowhere else to spend time outside the truck. Now what?

 

I was just issued a new truck last month, and I was elated, until I heard of this ambient sensor thing. I have bad sinus's and cannot sleep in warm, stale, humid air. I suppose I could get used to it if I had to, but until that time, I will be driving sleepy. Ive not had any issue with the company until lately. Sleepy drivers, eating spoiled food, trucks shutting down in traffic.....where is the safety adherence that they preach? APU's would be so much more driver friendly.....means to prepare healthy food, sleeping temperatures that ensure a good nights sleep, all promoting safe driving, and more profits for the company. I was dedicated to staying on the road for 6 to 8 weeks at a time, but I think I have to reevaluate my work ethic. If SNI is more worried about the bottom line than the drivers who work for them, then perhaps it is time for a change. Ive been totally pleased with my DBL and will miss him, but Im not making enough money to live off of now, as it is, and now this. They cant/wont even issue window screens to the drivers with this abomination installed? I have to dig down into my own pocket for it. How absurd.

 

I know I have argued about how unsafe it would be having a truck shut off in traffic. I had this installed last week and no I'm not happy but it won't kill the engine in traffic. I sat a very long time with my foot on the brake and it didn't shut down. Then while messing with work flow I sat a long time with my foot on the brake and it did shut off the engine. The only difference was I had the brakes set but even with them set you just need to tap the brake and it resets the timer holding the brake in doesn't do it so need to try and jerry rig something, I'm sure some have thought about doing it.

Now I'm still not happy but at least sitting there tapping the brake is a possible way of charging your batteries if they got that low, It's better then freezing right? Now last night I woke up cold looked around all the accessories were still on including the bunk heater so what the heck turned the temp up and back to sleep. Woke up sometime later freezing light is still on the bunk heater WTF I thought it was broke. I was wondering without being able to idle at 28 degrees how was I going to sleep so I could drive the next day. Well, it wasn't broke thank god turned it off then on and it started working again. But the point is if it didn't come back on I would had to sit in the drivers seat hitting the brake just to keep warm and got no sleep. Technically I would of been unable to drive, that would of been a crappy call to make to my DBL in the morning.

The temperature range on this thing is just to much and no way to bypass it when something breaks is just wrong. If there was an override on it that would be a start. If you override the sensor just like breaking 70mph or hard braking event it sent your DBL a message that would stop drivers from abusing the override. But at least if your bunk heater stops working or you run out of juice for it you have a reasonable option to keep working and not freeze. Heck I'd happy even if we had to call in for permission to override the thing first. At least knowing I had a way out would make me feel better.

I know idle costs a lot of money. But if we didn't have to bump the cruise control to idle that would save money on fuel right there. Idling at 5 is cheaper then idling 8 or like someone said earlier idle at 10. I only idled when it got uncomfortable in the cab other then that I shut down every chance I got. I got stuck pointing into the sun it wasn't hot out but man it got real hot in the cab I think it was only 65 outside. So this 20-70 thing for the entire company no matter where you run was bad planning. I sure aint looking forward to spring time in the south now LOL sorry I'm getting off my soap box now

 

Babysitting the Qualcomm waiting on a load, nowhere else to spend time outside the truck. Now what?

Oh yes....the ###### qualcomm.....whats with it going off in the middle of the night??? I turn mine down before I go to sleep. When they send messages, it doesnt matter that the volumn is turned down....it goes off anyway. What exactly is so important that they have to wake me up from a sound sleep to tell me at 2AM, anyway. If Im on my 10, thats MY TIME. There is no reason why whatever they want me to know cant wait until morning. Its not like Im going to do anything about it anyway....not until Im back on the clock.

 

Would a driver be allowed to have my own portable generator/battery, not attached to the truck system, to run my own inverter, heater, and cooking appliances? It seems that would solve some of the problems with idling and be simpler than switching companies if I was otherwise happy with the company.

 

Window screens only cost $35.00. Since when did Schneider ever issue driver comfort items?

 

I don't think that will work. I can hit the throttle all day long and it'll still shut off on me. The only way I've managed to keep it from shutting off is to push the parking brake in and then pull it out. That only works though if you're up front and keeping a careful eye on when the check engine lights start flashing at you, telling you sh** is about to be shut down.

Question. I was told that my bunk heater does not run on AC at all, but diesel. I don't think that's quite true. It blows heat out... it has to run on AC for the fan, right?

I have started to pack all my food into a bag cooler and hanging it outside on my truck window at night, and turning off my cooler. I simply have not been able to keep my cooler running all night, and have heat. This is even after limiting my computer/wifi usage to just what I already have charged up on the devices, so that I don't drain any juice from the truck. I am now on my 34 and purposely made it so that I have no healthy food that needs to be chilled in my truck, which causes me to spend extra money at this HORRID cafeteria in Carlisle. After running my bunk heater all night last night, at some point I think I better sit in my driver's seat for an hour, going through the effort to idle my truck every 4 minutes, so that my bunk heater works all night tonight. Or, I guess I could test to see how long it'll keep my warm, and if it completely drains my batteries, since I'm at an OC anyhow. I'd sure hate to wake up at 1am to an in-truck temp of 25 (tonight's forecasted low).

My love of company is at an all time low.

 

I too have the dreaded ambient temperature sensor. I also have the Park Air system in my truck, which provides heat and air cond and runs on batteries. Since I have this Park Air system my sensor is set to not idle between 20 and 90. I also have a 12v cooler and run a 180 watt inverter to power my laptop and cell phone. I cannot make it through one night with all of these running without my batteries going into emergency mode and shutting off the auxilliary circuits. I have discovered that if I idle my truck and just as the engine lights come on signalling it is about to die I press my service brake twice in a row, the lights go out and I get another 4 minutes of idle time. Yes, this is a pain, but it does allow me to recharge my batteries. If I unplug my cooler overnight, everything else that I listed above can run through the night with no problem. And my cooler stays cool inside if I unplug it all night. I have not had to use the heat all night yet, as it has been warm here in California.


The experimentations continue......

 

ya I am very close to finding another place to run myself after they loose enough people and there rep. is destroyed they will see the error

 

Has anyone tried using a stick to keep the brake pedal depressed and not set the brakes. Maybe chock the wheels and let it idle? I am not with schneider anymore but was just curious.