TMC idle policy?

Well, since no one else has answered, I'll take a shot at it.

No APUs on any of their trucks, as far as I know.

TMC has two pay scales; percentage or mileage. If you opt for the (point based) percentage pay plan, as your idle time increases your pay has a chance of decreasing. I don't have access to the numbers they use, but you lose points for having higher idle time percentages, and losing points can effect the percentage that you earn for each load. If you are on the mileage pay plan, as I am, idle time will not effect your pay.

I think the company likes for idle time be below 25-30%. They download this info from the ECM at each service, currently every 40K miles. If it's above whatever their standard is you will get a call from your dispatcher, or his boss, and you will receive a gentle scolding. At least that has been my experience, certainly nothing close to a butt munching.

Over the last couple of years I've received a couple of these calls. I am as polite & professional as I can be, but I'm too old and cranky to put up with any silly crap . I live in that truck for 5-7 days at a time, and I keep the temperature comfortable. For me that means a high idle time in the summer months, and a low idle in the winter, so it all sort of evens out. Once, I even got a "pat on the back" about my low idle in the winter. I think it was around 24% then, now it's up to around 40.

I'm usually fine in the winter until it gets below 20, even then I don't have to idle all night. If the humidity is low and temp is under 70ish, I don't idle. When the temp is above 75-80, the only time I shut it off is when fueling, doing PTI, or out of the truck.

As far as I'm concerned it's a safety issue. I need my rest to be on top of my game, and I can't rest if I'm not comfortable. I really don't care how much fuel they spend for that, it's just another cost of doing business. Maybe I gotta bad attitude, but it's the only one I got.