Truck Driving Jobs

Toothpick · Joined: 15 Nov 2004 Posts: 321

Uncle Fester wrote: I use to do that no-idling fuel bonus stuff, and nearly got frostbite on my toes for a lousy .03cpm which brought me up to the princely sum of .26cpm in the mid-90's.

If your idle time is extreamly high, like over 50% they might say something, but even if they do, don't worry about it.

Sleep, COMFORTABLE, RESTFUL sleep is just as much a need as diesel, food and air.

I cannot stand it when people who sit in air conditoned offices, drive in air conditoned care to air conditoned homes expect you to sweat to death for the sake of the bottom line.

When I was at KLLM, I took the Vice President of M.I.S. (Media and Information Services) out for a week and our second run was to Dayton, Texas and delivered at Sam's Club at 0'dark-thirty on a hot, muggy summer night.
Since I had the window screens in, it was letting all the super-heated air into the cab from the trucks next to us that had their motors turning.

This guy was in the top bunk (heat rises), sweating like a hooker in church!
The next day, he asked me how we could possibly sleep in conditions like the ones I subjected him to suffering?

I said, you'll pay for the reefer fuel to keep a load cool, but not for me to get a decent nights sleep.
We get these dictates from people in offices that are climate controled along with the DUMBEST suggestions on how to keep the truck cool in the summer or warm in the winter that never work.
If you treated prisoners like this, the ACLU would go ballistic and yet it's perfectly acceptable for corporate to insist that those who generate the revenue that powers this comapny to suffer in conditions that rapists and murders aren't subjected to enduring.
I do the best I can do under the circumstances when I'm given the option of making a lower wage, or suffering a little to earn someting extra.

I would ask you, how do YOU sleep at night?

The fuel bonus program fell by the wayside not too long thereafter and I stay comfortable, although I do hook up to Idle-Aire whenever I can and don't idle "stupid" except in the summer, my cat would die from heat stroke.

Good post...the only thing I might add is if I have to sit waiting for a load, then I make sure I idle alot. If they are going to make me sit, then I'm going to make them pay!

Uncle Fester · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:06 pm Post subject:

I like how you think, toothpick!

Aligator · Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 880

I got to fiddling around on Detroit Series 60 Spec sheet and discovered a couple of things about idling:
Under normal conditions the engine will use about 3/4 gallon of fuel per hour at idle.
Detroit offers an option that allows the engine to idle with only three cylinders "under special conditions". I'm betting that ain't the the AC on :)
There is also an option that will shut the engine down when the cabin temp is right and start it back up when the temp is wrong.

Going back to that 3/4 gallon per hour. If I were an O/O and I had to shut down for 34 hours in Arizona in July, I'd just find a cheap hotel. You're going to use 25 gallons of fuel idling, right? That's 75 bucks. May as well be comfortable and use the pool. 8)

Bisquit · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 503

Try this on for size. My tuck was averaging 5.2mpg. I read on this board somewhere that because you have to raise the rpms before you down shift you are burning excess fuel,so just for kicks I quit downshifting. About the same time I lost my spare key to my truck so I have to shut it off and lock it up when I'm not in it. My fuel milage went up to6.5mpg and has been as high as 7.7 on a single tank. Since I own a small piece of the company I keep an eye on the bottom line where I can. This to me was a real eye opener. Almost an extra mile and a half per gallon on an average month makes a big difference in what we have to pay for fuel. Multiplied over many trucks you'd be looking at major bucks. I idle whenever I'm in my truck but if I gotta get out its turned off till I get back in. Just a little food for thought.......Don

TK THE TRUCKER · Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 894 Location: NEAR ROCHESTER, NY

Bisquit wrote: Try this on for size. My tuck was averaging 5.2mpg. I read on this board somewhere that because you have to raise the rpms before you down shift you are burning excess fuel,so just for kicks I quit downshifting. About the same time I lost my spare key to my truck so I have to shut it off and lock it up when I'm not in it. My fuel mileage went up to6.5mpg and has been as high as 7.7 on a single tank. Since I own a small piece of the company I keep an eye on the bottom line where I can. This to me was a real eye opener. Almost an extra mile and a half per gallon on an average month makes a big difference in what we have to pay for fuel. Multiplied over many trucks you'd be looking at major bucks. I idle whenever I'm in my truck but if I gotta get out its turned off till I get back in. Just a little food for thought.......Don

That's sounds like some good advice. I too shut the truck off when I leave it. I'm really paranoid about my truck getting stolen for some reason so I never leave it running unattended for anything and plus it's a waste of fuel. It would be too easy for someone to break a window and take it if the keys are in it and running. I don't want to come out and see my company truck gone along with all my stuff that was in it. That was a great increase in fuel mileage. With the price of diesel the way it is even a small increase in fuel economy can mean big savings. :D :D

Roadhog · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 7:59 pm Post subject:

Lady North...
Looks like a quarter horse/ throughbred cross ?? Beauty....and how often are those front bumpers paying for themselves??
Here in N.Michigan...the winters have been mild now for years. Haven't seen any thing severe for many moon. Average daytime temps are 20's...our coldest month is Feburary, and outside of short cold spells that drift south outta Canada, we only see 0 to -10F on average. Thats fine with me...never did like sub-zero diet all winter long.
But...N. Michigan is changing too much from what it was for me through my youth....I'm seriously considering moving further NORTH.

yoopr · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 12865

Lady North wrote: One wrote: Dont idle unless u have to... If the temps are reasonable, and u got a warm blanky, theres no need to idle in the winter. Just ask urself how cold is it gonna get tonight and decide then. Cold starts are never good 4 an engine, so try to avoid starting it when its coldest out..6am.

Hah, yea. have you ever run the North country? 50 below is bloody cold, wether its 6 am, or 6 pm. The trucks do not get shut off, period.

scroll back-that's exactly what said

yoopr · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 12865

One of my first posts responding to the Guy about a "Blanket" was that where I live it gets down to -40F to -50F and a Freakin Blanket won't work-either will the truck

Roadhog · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject:

Lady North....
yeah...she's awesome....thought I saw a TB face...but harder to tell with photo's.
Do you work her on them rope tails?
My God, I'd love to climb aboard...she looks athletic and very smart/spirited and full of life.
Anyway....just wanted to let you know I appreciate what you have there.

I have no horse right now...but hope to gain another in about 5 years, when I can retire. My last horse was a purebred Polish Arabian. It took me 10 months of searching to find him. I was into Endurance Racing...and wanted the "perfect" horse for the sport. He stood 16-1 and had good withers for an arab. I spent 3 years training and conditioning before our first race....and we were a perfect match...we both loved the compitition.

Erich · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Posts: 113 Location: Minnesota

yoopr wrote: warm blanky, theres no need to idle in the winter

Oh really
But back to the Thread-I idled between 900-1000 RPM's

Thanks for giving me an actual speed that you idle at!

And that warm blanky response is pretty silly. The route I go on is up north, and there are times it is -50 actual temp. Warm blanky my ass.

cb richochet · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Alabama

If your going to idle your truck you should always bump the idle up main reason is to help prevent blow-by at the turbo, want proof let 'er idle really low for a couple of hours here and there then look at the oil leaks around the turbo. if not yet, don't worry it'll happen, learned this from a couple of reputable mechanics, and yes I had to prove it to myself. I know this is an old, old post but since the question was asked I figured newbies needed to know. be safe.

Paystar_5000 · Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 79 Location: Hobbs, New Mexico

most trucks have a preset fast idle you can just hit the crusie control and set accel button or u can manual idle it up by turning on cruise and hitting resume accel till its 900-1000 rpm on the tack

Jackrabbit379 · Joined: 22 Oct 2005 Posts: 4760 Location: Wichita Falls,Tx

Yummy. Nothin like hearing a 550 CAT with 6" straights,purrin around 950 rpm.

PackRatTDI · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 1004 Location: Las Cruces, NM

Paystar_5000 wrote: most trucks have a preset fast idle you can just hit the crusie control and set accel button or u can manual idle it up by turning on cruise and hitting resume accel till its 900-1000 rpm on the tack
The trucks I drove for Stevens wouldn't idle above 800 rpm or so when setting the cruise. I'm guessing that preset fast idle must be a programmable feature with the engine control module that our trucks weren't programmed with. We ran Cummins N14's at the time and I think I read somewhere that the adjustable low idle was between 500-800 rpm. Interestingly enough one of the trucks I drove had an adjustable idle switch that didn't function but setting the cruise would idle up the engine. Go figure. :o

Jackrabbit379 · Joined: 22 Oct 2005 Posts: 4760 Location: Wichita Falls,Tx

solo379 wrote: And if i do, i keep it, at around 800 rpm, tho my engine(CAT), manual, said, to keep it at 1000, or above! :)

Nothing better than listening to a 550 kitty CAT purr around 1000 with a set of straights.

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