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http://www.messengernews.net/top_stories_full.asp?3861
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***Patience is the hardest thing to learn..

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fuel fire bunk heaters this year.
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Those will come in real handy in AZ when the outside temperature is 117 degrees in the shade.....

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All of our new sleepers have the fuel fired bunk heaters, and are equipped with a shutdown for the engine that prevents it from idling over 5 minutes. If the temp is over 65 degrees, a switch is supposed to kick in that overrides the idle shutdown so the A/C can be run in hot conditions. We don't know how that's going to actually work until it gets warm. One friend who has one of the new tractors likes the heater, but was wondering what happens if he shuts down at night and it's 70 degrees, and the temps drop a little bit. Will it shut the motro down or will he still have air. But the bunk heaters are a good deal, though they do take up some valuable room in the pax side storage box.t

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Knight's got the bunker heaters, so does May and a few other smaller western companys. After all this exprimentation with side-box generators that run heat/ac, it seems some of the industry is simply choosing to solve the cold weather issue with fuel-powered bunk heaters.
The problems is -- it's investing in the cold weather problem only. Now, any investment in after-market ac would make the bunk heaters redundent, since the only way to provide ac (a generator) can easily provide heat too. I don't think trucks with fuel-powered bunk heaters are getting any help with air conditioning. Otherwise they would have bought a system that does both. But at least they've solved half the annual problem. And at 3-5 cents per minute to idle -- or about a gallon an hour -- the cheaper bunk heaters probably produce a bigger net savings half the year, than the net savings from a more expensive heat/ac gnerator system produces year round.
Get a fan and may all your summer loads keep your running days and sleeping nights.

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I don't know if they went through with it or not, but I remember an announcement a year or so back that Schneider was going to put fuel fired heaters into all their new purchases. I think the companies figure that a fuel heater provides at least half of the fuel savings and does it at reduced cost. And I see that Schneider is advertising that they are installing and financing gen sets on their lease purchase trucks as well. Of course, you have to lease on at their rates so that's the downside to it. You'll be comfortable, but broke......

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That's the problem with $8,000+ generator sets that provide heat and ac. Dispite all the fuel that's wasted on idling, it still takes a long time to realize a net savings after such an expensive add-on, including additional service costs (they need oil changes and filters) with another component that breaks down and needs repairs too.
I still think the add-on generator sets are the ultimate solution -- (shore power or piped-in air isn't practical unless you're parked where it's available.) We just have to wait for the market to develop a "better mousetrap" that's cheaper and more reliable than the current diesel/electric climate control technology. My company is testing three different generator products on a few dozen trucks, and none of them perform very reliably or create much measurable net savings by the time we re-sell the truck....

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That's why I am building my own diesel gen set for future use. I picked up a brand new Perkins 2 cylinder engine, am putting a 3k generator on it with a belt drive, mounting it in a box and plan to have the entire thing built for about $2200 when I am done. I can't justify the 7-8000 dollar units or the payback time on them. I have a buddy that bought a used Kohler out of a motorhome, mounted it and the rooftop A/C on his truck and added a gas tank. Once a week he puts gasoline in the tank out of a 5 gallon can he carries. It's not fancy, but he has about 800 bucks tied up in his setup and it is much cheaper than burning up hours of time on his big motor. I have a good sleeping bag, and have only idled my company truck 5 nights this (almost) past winter.

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That's me. I can deal with the cold - kind'a like it if it doesn't get below freezing in the truck (except waking up and reaching for the ignition ).
But I cannot tolerate being too hot in the summer. If I have to sleep during the day on a hot Arizona afternon, I'm running the ac. I will not sleep in a tv room chair to save fuel -- as some companys are pressuring their drivers to do.

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My truck ides almost every night I'm in it. If it's cold it idles, if it's hot it idles and if the parking lot stinks or looks full of trash (people included) it idles. There's no need putting up with being uncomfortable while your on the job/road. Plus I sleep better with the doors locked and the windows up while the truck gives that smooth vibration.
JB Hunt hounds their drivers daily about idleing and wants idle time to be below 25 percent winter or summer. Other companies are the same. Their all trying to save a buck at the drivers exspense. It makes little sense when thier rates and fuel surcharges are going up as is their profit levels. But drivers come and go so they hold little care for their needs. It's get the load delivered and on to the next.
Since most companies don't terminate drivers for idleing I would suggest newbies make their lives more comfy on the road and idle as needed.

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My point to the post was he said Idle laws are good because it helps them save money. Nothing wrong with idle laws if they allow idling when a driver or pet is in the truck but only half of them do.***Patience is the hardest thing to learn..