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DOES THIS DRIVER LOOK LIKE HE IS GETTING MUCH REST?
Location: Coachella, CA - Outside Air Tempurature 101F - Tempurature inside the Sleeper? UNBEARABLE!
Do you have a car? I know ridiculous question right, of course you do! Now think about the last time you parked your car in the sun while you went shopping or were at work. How hot was the interior of your car when you got inside? 120 degrees, 130? Higher? Was your steering wheel so hot you had to use your fingertips to steer? With the current Diesel Anti-Idling laws being passed nationwide, we expect our Truck Drivers to try to sleep in their sleepers in those very same conditions! No A/C, No Heat! See the
heat study from the Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society.
Laws vary from state to state, some do allow idling in extreme hot/cold, and others will only allow idling for 5 or 10 minutes per hour in extreme conditions. Fines are extreme also in some places going upwards of $25,000.
2009 Idling Laws by State PDF File | 2009 Idling Laws Cab Card PDF
There are alternatives to idling a trucks engine.
- APU’s (Auxiliary Power Units) similar to those used on airliners to maintain climate control and electricity when parked. These units are started when the main diesel engine is shut down and use a very minimal amount of fuel to operate. The cost of an APU installed start at about $8,000 per truck, and in fuel savings over idling the main engine, pay for themselves fully in less than 1 year.
- IDLEAIRE, which when hooked to a truck provides climate control, electricity, cable TV and internet. This service is not cheap at $2.89 per hour plus tax. This comes to 28.90 per 10-hour rest stop. This may not seem like much but in a month it adds up to almost $900 not including tax. IdleAire is also very limited in its locations.
- Motel Rooms. At $50 per night or higher this is not a feasible alternative, not to mention where do you park the truck in a secure location!
- Battery powered APU’s are being developed by truck manufacturers but this technology is still in its infancy and not a real alternative yet.
As you can see diesel APU’s which are attached to the truck is the best idle reduction technology we have today. Currently all states allow the use of diesel APU’s.
Company employed drivers are especially affected by these laws. Many companies refuse to install APU’s or pay for IdleAire or Motels for their drivers. They see Anti-Idling laws as a means to save money. Meanwhile their drivers suffer. With all the current emphasis on Driver Fatigue, this is a definite cause for fatigue. One other point, truckers change climates on a daily basis as they travel around the country.
The United States government does offer tax incentives to companies who install APU’s on their equipment and many states allow an extra 400 lbs over the gross vehicle weight for those same trucks. Between the fuel savings and tax incentives there is no reason for fleet owners not to install APU’s on their trucks. OSHA has standards on just about all industries for the safety and health of employees including working in hot environments. However OSHA has for the most part ignored the needs of truck drivers. Some of the hazards of sleeping in a hot truck ranges from heat stroke to death. On the other scale, in cold weather drivers suffer from frostbite or more seriously freezing to death. I am sure the cases of death are very rare, it does happen. I personally have been hospitalized once for heat stroke in Las Vegas while trying to walk inside the truckstop from my hot truck to get water when I passed out on the hot pavement and also suffered 2nd degree burns from the pavement. I have also suffered from frostbite on my legs and feet while sleeping in New York.
The Anti-Idling laws are here to stay, and I do not have a problem with them in concept. But we as a nation need to put the cart back behind the horse and find a solution for the company employed truck drivers so they can get the proper rest they need to drive a 40-ton truck down our highways.
I propose that as Americans we contact our representatives with the following:
- Mandate through legislation that the fleet owners must provide some form of APU on their equipment and protect their employees from the environment.
- Temporarily modify the currently anti-idling laws until the former is implemented.
If you do not know who your congressmen/women or senators are or how to reach them, There are Links to them in the LINKS area of this blog.
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