Why do people needlessly idle ?

I do it just to tick off the epa with my non emissions truck.

 

I was speaking with a driver in waiting room while we were getting loaded. He said that he couldn't sleep when he got home unless his wife would kick the bed to make it vibrate.

I used to not idle in the 20s, but now that's too cold for me. Lower 30s, maybe.

 

Actually, people don't needlessly idle; there are reasons; too hot, too cold, reefer unit has to run, no apu. That's just part of trucking and something we must adapt to. After being in the Navy on ships; truck stops seem very quiet.
There are some truck drivers with such a low IQ they will tell you to turn your reefer unit off so they can sleep. If you're nice about it and try to explain the trailer has a tattletale inside or that it's monitored remotely at the company, they get that glazed dull look in their eyes because anything not on the cartoon channel or MTV Rap Channel is completely foreign to them.

 

I'm reading the manual for my Cummins ISX engine. It's interesting, because everything that the companies I drove for told me is pretty much wrong.

The companies were sticklers on not idling and had a lot of rules about it. They wanted the engine off as soon as the truck stopped or was parked. They also wanted us to drive nearly immediately after starting the engine, unless cold weather conditions warrant idling.

My engine manual recommends a 3-5 minute high idle, followed by a 30 second low idle prior to shutting down. It also recommends a period of idling prior to driving.

Obviously, you have to do what your company tells you to do with their truck. But as for others? Live and let live.

 

Well if you're driving a truck with no auxiliary heating system you really don't have a choice unless you consider "freezing to death" a valid choice. A bunk heater will pay for itself pretty quickly.

 

Exactly! I don't idle at my new company because it's a new truck, with an apu. At my old company when I was running a 2.7 million mile 15 year old 378 i would leave on monday and wouldnt shut it off until I was in for the weekend whether I needed heat or a/c or not. Hard to make money when your waiting for a jump or a new starter or something like that. Plus there's nothing more soothing than the rumble of a big cat. It's been hard sleeping without it lately.

 

I wonder how one determines not knowing come here from sickem about my business at hand or my current situation that I'm needlessly idling.

 

Well I own my ride, background noise or fear of it not relighting when I push the button have little to do with why it's running when it is.