No APU, 5 minute idle, 90+ degrees - is this legal?

Im looking for a new place to work right now and my first question is "do you have APU's and what is your idle policy". I tell them right up front that a no idle policy is a deal-breaker and they can have their truck back. Im not going to put up with that bs...

 

Watch for restrictions on APU usage. I know one company around here that limits your use of the APU.

But your on the right track hiring your company rather than the other way around

 

Never heard this before...restrictions on APU usage?

It isn't enough to stop the trucks idle...but the APU also?

Clue me in please!

 

Big G Express places a restriction on the amount of hours you an place on your APU. Every time you pull into their fuel bay a mechanic will check your APU hours and if you are over the limit Dave(head of maintenance?) will have a talk with you about the cost of the APU and how you need limit your use as that APU will only pay for itself if they use it on at least three to four trucks (lease's with four year trade ins) and you are wearing it out over using it.

Now in equal disclosure they have payed for the cycling(?) program and they use tri-pacs with the Webasto heater for cold weather. And in general drivers do not have a problem staying within the 50 hour a week limit(when I left may have changed). But I got a whole lecture about it because the mechanic entered my hours in wrong. Part of the many reason's I am not there. P Poor management.

 

Let me get this straight....the APU is to save money on fuel consumption, yet they want to restrict the use time to.....save the unit from over use?

This will take some time to find the common sense dimension....no it won't ....it can't possibly fit into any form of common sense!

I have always/never been able to figure out how someone can think these things can pay for themselves no matter how they play with the numbers. Our management has decided that the APU will save close to 1 million $ in fuel costs....yet the "Blue Cool" unit must have 8 hours of over 1000 rpm engine time (truck engine) to charge the cooling system. then the unit will "last" approximately 9 hours maintaining a "cooler" environment inside compared to outside. This is based on outside temps in the 80 -90 degree range....no figures above 90 degrees...but obviously less than the 9 hours previously mentioned. So at 108 degrees (Vegas, Phoenix...anywhere in the southern desert....and anywhere south of I-90 in August as example) the "cooling atmosphere" might last about 2 -5 hours...not taking into the equation for excessive humidity which is stated in the manual that high humidity outside will reduce the "cooling time".

Another case of advertising BS to move a product at the drivers expense!

 

We tried that blue cool on 20 trucks waste of weight in our opinion.

 

Tazz I suffered from Heatstroke myself Last Summer just Sitting outside. I suffered 2 strokes in 2001 that destroyed my bodies ablity to cool itself for the most part. Then you throew in the Medications I take and I AM BEYOND SCREWED. I can overheat from walking outside in a 75 degree day. When I hit the ER my Core Temp was 103 and they almost lost me. If I am not in an AC cooled area in the summer I am in Deep Crap unless I am in a Swimming pool.

 

So knowing that about yourself would you sleep in a truck in 100 deg + temps?


You have a medical condition that requires special treatment, however your company (if you drive for one) has no obligation to provide that treatment.

 

If anyone put a restriction on my APU usage, I would just laugh at them LOL

 

My guess is that it must have been a fool.