Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassy_1
It's a waste! If you were a O/O would you just run the truck non stop? I'm happy to see more and more companies are starting to shut trucks down for id time, in place most companies offer an incentive to keep the off. Ask your dispatcher if there is such a program in the company. I know my west coasters don't Idle even in the winter and they make over $100 extra per one way for doing so
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If a driver literally lets his truck run 24/7 then, yes there is a problem and I have no qualms about a company taking that driver to task. IMHO a driver should shut the truck down anytime and everytime he is out of the truck for any length of time unless there is a real good reason not too, like in -20 F weather.
What I do have an issue with are companies, and the government, telling drivers when they can and can not idle their trucks when they are in them attempting to rest. "Comfort" is a very individual thing and there is no way to take a universal approach to what comfort, or safe temps, are.
As far as these companies go that have these very strict idle policies I feel that they need to get off their azzes and start equipping their trucks with equipment that allows a driver to turn off the truck and still maintain a comfortable environment in the sleeper in order to obtain the rest s/he needs to be a safe and productive employee.
If they (the company exec's and govt officials) think it is so easy to get a good quality rest without any kind of HVAC they really need to go pitch a tent in a field somewhere and try to take a nap from 2-6pm in the summer with all the windows zipped shut or sleep in the winter when the temp in 30 degrees outside, and let them do that for at least a week.