DOE: Idling Truck Eats $1800 in Profit

May 9, 2000 9:15 AM, EDT

Idling trucks eat up an average annual profit of $1,800 a unit, according to the Department of Energy.

The federal agency recommends operators of Class 7 and 8 tractors use separate auxiliary devices for heating and cooling the cab and warming the engine block.

“There has been a wide range of comment on this, and for now it’s up to the individual driver,” said Frank Stodolsky, who researches truck issues for DOE.

The Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago conducted studies for DOE on engine idling and its costs (4-17, p. 10).

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