Why Do You Idle?

I had the same thing happen two nights ago in El Paso, O/O across from me ran all night with noisy fan belts and dryer kickin on every few minutes than in the am I'm getting fuel and he pulls up next to me and starts cryin about price of fuel. I tell him yeah it really sucks that its going up but at least it was nice last night so I could sleep for free un like some ### that idled all night. Every dollar I put in that tank is one less dollar for my kids education is the way I look at it.

 

Mine too. Last night two company trucks (one on each side of course ) all night long and it was 54* Bad thing its this is that company out of Las Cruses NM with the blue trucks that the owner puts the super singles, skirts on trailers buys the aero trucks with small motors so he can get good MPG and save money and here are these two just burnin it up for absolutely no reason, bet he would be real happy about that

 

True, but I never claimed to be mr wonderful.

Twice now I have heard guys talking about their CPAP devices. They were both well over 400lbs wearing sweat pants, and heading back and forth between the all you can eat buffet at the truck stop.

I HAVE AN IDEA LOL!

 

Just remember all this in 2-3 months when it's over 100° outside and 130° INSIDE the truck and these same people are whining "why am I NOT ALLOWED TO IDLE?"
Guys (and gals) you can't have it both ways. Either we exercise some common sense or we allow the goobermimt to foul things up with more inane and impractical legislation, oops, too late!
This is just one more reason I am glad to be off the road and finally have a job where I go home every night!!! (I can have my bedroom as cold as I want as long as I pay the electric bill. My wife says I am part Eskimo!)
Until APUs are STANDARD EQUIPMENT on every new truck with a sleeper (esp company trucks), drivers are going to idle when they need to or feel like it!

 

Keep in mind these new trucks with their emissions equipment weigh a lot more than the older trucks. My '09 Mack with it's emissions weighs almost 19K, nearly 1,000 heavier then my '00 did and we spec'd it light, but because of that DPF system it's still heavy. When we haul grain loads (like we do every day), I can still take upto 47K, but it depends on the load and where it's going. It's normal to pick up 46,500 of sunflower in a 40' container, but I have to play with my fuel. My boss gets pissed because I don't fuel at night (we have our own 8,000 gal. tank) and usually fuel in the morning. I always tell him that if he wants me to fill at night he needs to give me my AM dispatch before I fuel so I know what I'm doing and how much fuel to take on. Add an APU or similar and I'd be screwed.

 

I'll say it again. The customer/shipper needs to readjust their demands. If they had their wish, we would haul twice as much weight for half the price!!! So they have to cut the load by a few hundred pounds, so what!!! Isn't your comfort or quality of life on the road worth something???
I understand that trucking is a service industry and the person/company that provides good service at the best rate will prosper, but at what point do we stop compromising our basic needs??? CUT THE #### LOAD SO WE DONT HAVE TO IDLE, FREEZE WHEN IT'S COLD, OR SWEAT TO DEATH WHEN IT'S HOT!!!
The bottom line is we are too afraid of losing revenue if we tell a customer "NO!"
Maybe,if pulling someone's freight requires us to accept burdensome requirements like real heavy loads or real low rates, or running illegal, maybe IT'S GARBAGE FREIGHT, and not worth our time.
Sorry, this kind of thing really gets me angry!

 

dang bud you run in my outfit lol.i drove a 2000 mack vision last year and this year i got a 2009 mack vision just like your profile pic but it red loooooveee it.but i haul wood chip.

 

I don't have one of those,but I've been parked next to a few.I don't know how you can get a good sleep like that.

 

I idle to support global warming...