will every company let you idle the truck to get decent sleep?

 

Idle and decent sleep in the same sentence...that's like refer and fun in the same sentence!

Answer: It depends. Most companies will let you idle, but you loose your fuel mileage or idle bonus. Some states will not allow idling.

 

And some companies run an opti-idle system, where the truck starts when a pre-set temperature is hit and then shuts down again. This goes on all night. You have to be a pretty sound sleeper with that.

 

some companies even pay idleair. arrow did. calif. and new york are the tuff states and even they seem to show common sense. we have to get proper rest and when the weather dictates we must idle to use either heater or a/c. the troopers never bothered me, but, you are gonna get a ton of horror stories now from drivers who were busted. use your best judgement.

 

Idle policy varies big time from company to company. Some do not really care, others will say idle if you need to in order to get your rest, and still others say no idling unless the temp is below 20 or 25 deg F.

NY and NJ have some pretty strict idle laws. I have never seen anyone get busted if they were at a truck stop, but I have seen drivers nailed if parked anywhere else.

It was either this past July or this coming Jan (can't recall for sure) CA is suppose to go no idling unless the temp is very very low and is suppose to be enforcing it big time. They have also pretty much banned using APU's since new emission standards out there are going into effect soon and no current APU meets those standards.

Good luck to you out there. You are caught between a rock and a hard place. You got the companies telling you not to idle to conserve fuel but most refuse to pony up for anything to help you be comfy while you sleep, then you got private groups telling you that you need better sleep and more of it, and then you got states who will bust you for driving tired even if you are legal but continue to pass laws where you can not run your truck to keep the temp right to help you get the sleep you need.

 

Whats really sad is that I haven't seen the first Idle-air setup in NJ or NY. Seems I read something about NY was going to work with Idle-air to equip the truck parking areas on I-90 some time ago....but I just went across there and didn't see any.

I think its a bit hypocritical on the parts of the states to lay it all at our feet, especially considering the number of cars that they have on the road idling at red lights and in traffic jams...... But then I guess its easier to penalize someone who can't vote for you then face the wrath of the voters....

 

It is a great way to generate revenue for these states. They know the truckers will likely not come back for a court appearance. I don't recall anyone stating that you had to have common sense to be a state legislator. :shock:

 

Very true.... I have heard the fines in NY can be as high as $1000.00 or more.

Sad but true.

Unfortunately, you are correct again. It should be a job requirement, in fact they should have to pass a test to prove they have a brain. 8)

 

Just curious, but what does it cost for Idle-Aire?? I know that if a company pays for it the cost will be different than if The driver pays for it. So, what does it cost if I pay for it??

 

Ok I hear people saying that if you have a pet such as a dog or cat hell I heard a bird you can idle all you want without a ticket True or false?.