USA Bus Lines

Why don't they cut the engine on large trucks, charter buses, etc. even when nobody is using them?

Public Comments

1. They are diesel engines, and it uses less fuel to leave them running for shorter periods than it does to actually start one cold
2. Stupidity. The idle time is a major expense to many major carriers. My Qualcom (on-board computer) tracked all sorts of information including my idle time. The company would send out nasty grams if your idle was considered excessive. It was based on a percentage of time engine was in motion versus sitting still. My Freight-liner burned a gallon an hr (approx). So if I idled for ten hours at a high level of rpms, I'd burn about 15-20 gallons of fuel. Take that number and times by 3.50 dollars for a gallon of diesel...the take that and times it by 7 (7 day in a week). There were times when I had to idle. If i couldn't get to a new product offered in truck stops called IDLE Air (heat and AC pumped through a tube into the truck without burning diesel). It was 2.00/Hr to use. Or, I couldn't get into a motel. Ironically, the issue of driver fatigue is critical and many must idle at some point, but not all the time. It's wasteful. It doesn't consume that much more MORE DIESEL to warm a truck up. An old wives's tale.