For Idle time restriction companies, what do truckers do during break/down time

If you look at most lists of anti-idling laws, most have a provision allowing idling for a DOT mandated rest break.

 

Even then most have tme requirements and temp requirement.

Stuff like can idle 30 minutes in a 60 minute period if below 20 degrees and such.
Here is an overview of anti-idling laws by state.

https://cdllife.com/2014/idling-laws-state/

 

In that case.. how can anyone get any rest waking up repeatedly to crank and/or to shut off the engine ?

That exemption is just as ridiculous.

Common sense wins out.

Not many have it, though.

 

THIS.

I would be deep in the process of discovering who idles. Right there in the truckstop lot. Sit and have a smoke a coffee a minute. Eventually certain trucks that never seem to shut off will present themselves to you. A pair of binoculars will get the MC, DOT numbers etc off the doors without having to walk all over like a doofus.

There have been times I have almost been killed or worse by trucks that either burned up or failed to make heat in any season. Those go into the shop asap.

If I think to rant for a paragraph I'll leave out the obscenity and profane words and reach for a club for the likes of the Motor Carriers Adminstration, Lawmakers and so on anyone even remotely assoicated with the actual process of killing a tractor trailer in 110 degree heat or 10 above zero or worse in the winter. I tell you why. Every 8 to 12 minutes the weather channel at times broadcasts a hot temperature chart for cars in the sun during summer.

HOW you think the suit that configured a company truck not to idle in the summer heat, will do; in a truck that will get to 155 in a hour or more? Since he cannot go anywhere he has to stay there. Oh he's too sick and now needs life flight? Oh well. Need to get authorization first from the company benefits person. You follow me?

Companies that deliberately fail, that I think is a excellent word "FAIL" to allow the drivers (Their best asset...) to establish and maintain a good environment conductive to working well, resting really good and in general have the ability to decompress when not working or sleeping. All of that needs power. In order to get that power you need to buy a capable APU big enough to take care of that power issue (And provide heat in winter to both the engine block under the hood as well as cab/sleeper) or allow the driver to idle the truck engine.

If you stuck a cigerette into a intake of a big truck what is going to come out of the stack is shiny clear rainbows of sparkling disinfected clean air that will intoxicate us all with it's joyful celebration to living well without pollution.

//sarcastic. Maybe you companies need some kind of credit to collect money for helping to collect dirty air around you in Ontario CA and scrub it with your truck engines. How is that? hmmmm?

Idling when done right is not a problem to a diesel engine. It wants to run 10 million miles if need be. It's when people who do not do trucking in real life have the power to select options or otherwise fat finger computer configurations into a 18 wheeler to kill the engine and maximize a few cents profit each day... you have just lost a good driver who will go find someone else to work for who will spend a dime to allow heat, light, cooling and power for him or her (Or them)

I would be rally horrified if some smart aleck thinks to take the entire back wall of a sleeper off and put in the Telsa Power Wall system so that it will provide everything, including the bright penetrating heat from self combustion as it destroyes 10 trucks in the parking row late at night.

Im also learning that some Nations in the world has managed to make a break through and put freaking nuclear reactors on missiles for weapons of war. Essentially unlimited range. You could do tricks with such a small powerplant in war that has unlimited range. For example fly against a American warship, do circles until American Warship runs out of missiles in defense effort. (Most software does not permit a circular intercept. It has to be straight lines) and then run in to destroy ship.

If we can put nuclear engines onto missiles, maybe it's to put nuclear engines on 18 wheeler. I don't care if all it has is a simple on/off switch. That's about all we can stand to deal with in today's hyper computerized workload that buries us all from birth to grave.

 

Don't work for places like that?

 

Idling costs a lot of money and wear on the engine.

Why can't you be a team player and not waste the company's money.

Buy yourself one of those fans from the TA that plugs in the cigarette lighter.

 

Lol

 

That's right.
Sweating can help you lose weight.
Or, you could just sleep in the recliners in the drivers lounge... snoring loudly while everyone is forced to watch NCIS reruns.

 

Law & Order.

 

If you look many have an exemption for DOT mandates rest break. Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, etc.
And to be honest, I felt that this list was rather incomplete.

This is a more in depth list, and most places allow an exemption for DOT mandates rest breaks.

2016 State-to-State Idling Guide