What is a normal idle percentage for company drivers?

There is a way for them to look at idle time, hours and most can see other data with the GPS manager and that stuff. They see it real time from the office. The idle time really is hard on the emissions and the oil so they frown on that. I do too, for my own equipment and if it were their truck I would feel the same way as you clog up the DPF faster. The soot, acids and other nice stuff from idling takes it's toll as idle time goes up.

APU's have been a great thing for our lives for sure.

 

I shut mine off every time I climb out of the driver's seat even if for just 30 seconds or a minute. That's what they want. I haven't been thru a bunch of starters or anything of the sort. 99% of the time I think you can shut a truck off immediately on exiting the cab with no ill effect. The only time your turbo needs some cool down (that other 1%) is if you just pulled a hard grade and stopped on the shoulder - a situation that I practically never find myself in.

 

You can shut it down no problem. If there is a problem, it is because of maintenance. If you did wind it up and get it hot, 10-15 minutes of normal idle should do it. And shutting it down on high idle isn't good for the turbo, but people do it because they could care less. If your truck is in shape, you should not have to think twice about turning it off and walking away from it.

 

Just say no.

 

6.6% for the month of February, according to my company. Data pulled from the ELD which probably isn’t 100% accurate. My rolling 12 month average is around 18%.

 

In 14 years I don't think I was ever lower than 40%.

They always told me I was the highest and needed to get it lower. I was written up for it once, which I didn't find out about until more than a year later. It was just sitting there in my file.

A few years ago they went to a new bonus system. It basically hosed any chance of a decent bonus.
At first it was a 3 month system, averaging things over 3 months. I could buy a new, and nice, laptop with one of those.
Then they started paying the bonus monthly with many more conditions. After that I never even cared because it was so little.
Idle time was not a factor, but fuel mileage was. It had not been in the old system. And if the miles are low the idle time will be higher.

They want a low idle time but don't want to install an APU to help. It is just, don't idle.
The way I figured it, they could either foot the bill for an APU or foot the bill when I needed to idle.