Is It Ok To Leave Your Truck Idling Overnight

Is it ok to leave your truck idling overnight at a rest stop does it disrespect other Truckers?

It's perfectly fine at a truck stop or rest stop to idle. In fact you'll hear an entire chorus of engines, reefers, and APUs running 24/7.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Depends. Summer, dead of winter no problem.

Spring/Fall if you don't need it many appreciate the extra quiet. Couple of days ago fellow driver apologized and told me he was running just long enough to run his microwave.

Another new "feature" on many trucks is idle shutoff. Truck won't idle longer than 5 min if the temps are between 35-68 degrees F.

After awhile you don't really notice the noise, but will appreciate a quiet lot when you do find one.

I know if I have a choice I avoid parking next to reefers.

You get used to the sound and vibration of truck(s) running. Eventually some depend upon it. There is a receiver I have delivered to several times. It is a wharehouse in a little country town in central Georgia. Usually I am the only truck there. They have enough parking on site for 2 trucks. It gets too quiet there. I have shutoff my truck and started it back up to reset my opti Idle so I can fall asleep while the truck is running.

I know if I have a choice I avoid parking next to reefers.

But if you have a reefer yourself, if you have a load that requires continous run, sleeping with the constant reefer hum is great and blocks other sounds from bothering you. I'm told that my mother put me on the washing machine to sleep when I was a baby, so......

Dave

If you're going to idle(my truck rarely shuts off) you need to make sure you bump the idle up. Many trucks will allow you to do it by turning on the cruise control and use the set/accel switch to idle it up. If you have an oil pressure gauge, you want to keep the oil pressure at a minimum of 30psi which generally relates to about 650-700rpm depending on the engine manufacturer. In regards to fuel burn, it translates into around .75 gallon per hour of idle time.

If I'm in my truck it's running. With my doors shut, I don't hear the running, trucks, refers and APUs next to me. When I step out, I sure do. lol. Our trucks won't idle below 70 degrees. Raising the RPM won't work. However, releasing the tractor breaks will keep it running. I have found if I start it, release the tractor breaks, wait a minute then reapply the tractor break it will stay on as well. Some shipper/receivers require you to shut down while at the dock.

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Be sure to know local and state idle laws before you attempt to idle your truck. Some states and locals will enter a truckstop and issue large ticket fines for idling your truck no matter the time of day or year.