So if the company is #####ing about idle…..

Change companies. Resign and find a better company.

 

Absolutely

 

The APU can provide heating, cooling and electricity while the truck engine is shut off. In very warm temps I found the air conditioning from the APU could not keep up with 95 F or more. In those circumstances I would idle the truck & run the air conditioner from the truck engine. Whichever air conditioning you run, cover the windshield & side windows with the drapes to keep out the sun.

If A company won't allow me to sleep comfortably, I would find a other job and then leave. I would not quit on the spot and just hope to get home by magic or hope to find another job by magic. Jobs are not very common right now.

Make sure you talk to current working drivers at a company before you make a choice. A lot of new/young drivers think an online only job search will tell them enough to know where to work. It usually isn't


If you cannot rest you should not drive until you can rest. If you wreck & later say it was because you could not sleep your company will not accept the blame. They will blame you for not letting them know you were fatigued.

 

It sounds like you do not have an APU. You mentioned idling the truck and OptiIdle, neither of which deals with an APU.

What company do you work for?
Mine also complains about my idle time. They have for over 13 years.
Get the hint? 13 years they have been complaining, and I am still here.

 

Winner.
You will have drivers who will hear the same complaints, and try to be good little employees, roll down the windows, and bake and get overrun with flies and insects. Then the driver gets online complaining about the heat.

These will be the same drivers who complain about how the office jocks ignored his home time requests, talk down to him, and give him ALL the garbage runs. Where did it start? Once people realize that you are a doormat, expect them to use the doormat.

This is exactly the reason why two drivers will have opposite views of the same company. One chose to be compliant and hand in his balls to be baked and the other laughs and continues on.
So, what are you going to do?

 

You can not have the bunk (or any) AC on without the engine idling. OptiIdle is just a way of controlling how much the truck idles, but it still idles the truck for heat or AC.

 

I thought Big Orange had APUs. I am a big fan of the APU. If it is well serviced, it will do just fine in just about any situation. Sometimes you gotta idle for a bit to cool down the cab, then cut it on. I've been with companies where they fussed about idling. I've been in trucks where there was no air. I've used fans, rolled down windows, all kinds of stuff. Having gone through that, it makes me appreciate APUs so much more. Do what you gotta do to feel comfortable. They're gonna fuss. You don't have anything to worry about til they fire you lol.