What's up with all the trucks idling?

Yes specially with the cost of diesel on the rise it makes good sense to try and reduce the needless waste of fuel, not to mention limiting the amount of air pollution in the atmosphere, this was something that I noticed when I first started driving in the USA was the amount of trucks left running sure if it is really cold, like below 32 degrees, or if it is really hot above 85 degrees, then yeah it makes sense, however lots of times the current outside temperature did not warrant keeping the truck motor running so why do so? An average truck diesel engine will burn approximately 8 gallons of fuel while left idling for 8 hours. Which is why either using an APU or just switching them off makes so much more sense.

 

Simple. When I had a sleeper on my truck I idle a lot. It was a company truck and I wanted to. Company was ok with it so I did. Don’t like it. #### off.

 

Some of you guys come up with some rough answers, like I'm trying to wage war against you idling your truck.

It's your truck and if your boss is paying for the fuel or you're paying for the fuel and you're paying for the repairs to the emission systems, sure idle all you want.

The point is that in 2022 it's just surprising to me that with all of the reasons that have been listed, that it isn't just a few trucks here and there idling it's the vast majority like 3/4 I would say or something like that.

I'm not chastising anyone for your choices that's your business, but I just find it very surprising that in this day and age that such a large number of trucks just sit and idle seemingly for no reason when there are so many better options.

If you figured the cost of idling your truck, especially now with the price of fuel, versus the cost of an APU or an inexpensive generator, that would pay for itself in no time, not to mention the expensive repairing of any of these engines if you can even get the parts to repair them.

Like I said some people have a valid reason especially if your boss didn't give you an APU, but it's just very surprising to me that there are SO MANY trucks that sit and idle.

 

I am 100 percent seeing the same thing and thought the exact same thing. I did idle the end of summer since my APU was out of freon and it was not worth putting in the shop when I was making good money. I hardly ever let truck idle for any other reason unless too cold. Lots of money being thrown out the doors.

I think people did not plan on prices surging like it has and now they will start to think more on this. Money matters to all of us big and small so when it becomes a cost that is getting out of control they will pay extra close attention to it. Not sure if a shortage in APU's right now or not. If not right now I bet it will be before summer.

 

If fuel goes to $7 a gallon I’ll still idle. I don’t care what the cost is, I’m gonna stay comfortable.

 

Well if it's your truck, and I may not at all understand your situation, but if it's your truck and you idle 10 hours a night, which most likely is going to be more than that but if we say 10 hours a night which would be 10 gallons at $7 a gallon that would be $70 a night. At a minimum.

I don't know how much you stay out but let's say that you stayed out for 2 weeks, 7 days at $70 a day is $490 x 2 is almost $1,000 in those two weeks.

And not even you in particular but anybody that idles their truck every night you are talking about $2,000 a month or $24,000 a year? Okay if we take some time off for home time and whatever $20,000 a year.

Even at the current $5 a gallon, you're talking about $350 a week 700 every 2 weeks and $1,400 a month or $16,800 a year.

That is a lot of money to flush down the toilet. And again, not even you in particular but anyone that regularly Idles their truck every night I just don't get it. Like I said I might not understand your exact situation but I don't understand anyone that would spend that amount of money just to idle your truck. Even buying an expensive Apu is way cheaper than that. And a Harbor Freight generator would be paid for in the first 2 weeks.

 

I’ll idle when I need to otherwise I’ll use the generator. Down this way I don’t see near the percentage of people idling you do up north. Nothing near 3/4
I would say 1/4 idle down here unless it is real cold. Now come summer time that goes way up. I’ll be redneckin’ my window A/C Soon.

 

You’re making to many assumptions to try and prove a point. I only spend 3 or 4 nights a week in the truck, some weeks less. I don’t idle the truck every night. Spring and fall it gets idled very little.

 

I've also found that the idling noise. Drowns out the screams from inside the sleeper.

 

I would love to see where you get 1 gl per hr (10 gl per 10hr idle)
My volvo uses .5 gl per hr. (5gl per 10hr)
My prostar uses .65 gl per hr. (6.5gl per 10hr)
And apu's use 3-5gl per hr so in the real world apu's don't save that much