Why to big diesel trucks idle for hours? We

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Besides that, if you shut the engine off, then you have to go through THIS to get it started again, at least in Australia ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZrFkGdti8c

Lannis

That brings back memories! Back in the mid-'90s one of my neighbors owned a construction business and his "company truck" was a Mack R series dump truck. Every morning I'd hear that same sound. 

[drbone641]

My Dad took me out to Southern Railroads, Norris Yard in Irondale, Alabama when I was home for Christmas holidays about 30 years ago. They had given all of the Engineers a few days off and had well over 200 locomotives sitting in the Yard, idling. Weirdest thing I ever saw regarding trains.

[Rough Edge racing]

That's why I have a hard time understanding why anyone would want to go back to the bad old days of mechanical injected diesels...

Ask what the cost is of replacing electronic injectors on a modern PU truck, the ones with the $8000 Diesel option...And they do fail...

[Luap McKeever]

When I was driving in the mid 90's, I kept it on to keep the heat/ac/TV running and it helped me fall and stay asleep. Plus, that old cab-over Pete was the most cold-blooded thing I've ever driven, and the startup/warmup sequence was a complete nightmare (especially during cold weather), so the 6 gallons of wasted fuel per night was well worth it to me. Thankfully, I don't have to "drive to live" anymore.

[DC950]

For UPS and FedEx, I think the policy is more about keeping the truck from being stolen than saving fuel...

I've never seen one take the keys though.  From what I understand, UPS has measured and tested everything from here till Sunday and they beleive this is the right way economically to do it.

[Lannis]

I've never seen one take the keys though.  From what I understand, UPS has measured and tested everything from here till Sunday and they beleive this is the right way economically to do it.

My UPS guy just pulled up with a package.   I asked him about the "idling" policy for UPS drivers.

He said:

(1) If you set foot on the ground, you must have your keys out of the ignition and in your hand.

(2) If the hand scanning unit is pulled out of its charging port on the dash, the ignition must be "Off".   If it's not, it sends a signal to the depot and the driver has to explain why he didn't cut the engine off before leaving the driver's seat.   Anything the UPS driver does requires the hand scanner.  They don't make it cut off automatically in case there's some sort of emergency.

He said that in their UPS driver training, they didn't explain why the rules are like they are (fuel?  safety?  theft? Engine longevity?); they don't want the drivers "improving" things on their own initiative because they think they know why it's being done.   "Just do it", they said.

So that's one UPS driver in Central Virginia today.   Another time, another guy, another place may have a different take or different training .... ?  Not mine to reason why ....

Lannis

[BrotherJim]

A buddy of mine with somewhat of a short fuse was getting annoyed with a guy leasing garage space from a repair shop down on the corner from him, idling his diesel truck the entire time he was there.  Happened more than once, I guess.  So my buddy storms over there, climbs up into the cab and shuts the thing down and throws the keys down the street.  The guy was stunned that such a thing just happened, while no doubt my buddy gave him the Yosimite Sam treatment.  Buddy went to jail that night for some trespassing charge.   

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

My UPS guy just pulled up with a package.   I asked him about the "idling" policy for UPS drivers.

He said:

(1) If you set foot on the ground, you must have your keys out of the ignition and in your hand.

(2) If the hand scanning unit is pulled out of its charging port on the dash, the ignition must be "Off".   If it's not, it sends a signal to the depot and the driver has to explain why he didn't cut the engine off before leaving the driver's seat.   Anything the UPS driver does requires the hand scanner.  They don't make it cut off automatically in case there's some sort of emergency.

He said that in their UPS driver training, they didn't explain why the rules are like they are (fuel?  safety?  theft? Engine longevity?); they don't want the drivers "improving" things on their own initiative because they think they know why it's being done.   "Just do it", they said.

So that's one UPS driver in Central Virginia today.   Another time, another guy, another place may have a different take or different training .... ?  Not mine to reason why ....

Lannis

They have the driver's actions programed to a pretty high level, they are all sorts of rules about where to pull & park, how to exit/climb back into the truck (3 points of contact), the distance they cover between the truck & the parcel placement, how to use the horn....

Supervisors/auditors do follow them anonymously and review how closely they adhere to guidelines. 

It won't be long until the hand scanner (or some other wearable tech) tracks their steps, stoops, bends, reaches, and twists in order to log the movements in a system to figure out the absolute MOST EFFICIENT POSSIBLE WAY  to be a UPS Driver.  Amazon is already piloting such tech on their warehouse workers.

Of course that's only an intermediate step before the robots, drones, and self-driving trucks take over!

 As a matter of fact, they will probably use the data gathered from the efficiency of human movement studies when designing the robots   

[Lannis]

Of course that's only an intermediate step before the robots, drones, and self-driving trucks take over!

That'll be the end of bringing it to my doorstep.   I'll have 'em drop it at the local village store to my attention before any of that stuff comes down MY road .... !     

Lannis