Why Do They Idle All Day?
Once a year we take our department heads over to Canton, TX. for a day of shopping and fun at the trade days. I rent them all a scooter give um some cash and and off they go. I always park the bus right next to the West Entrance in an area where three or four busses can back into. I was the first one there yesterday morning and after I got parked, I settled in for a little nap. After about thirty minuets another bus backs in next to me. It's an H3 from some tour company out of Houston. I'm laying there thinking he's going to shut his engine down any second now, right. Wrong. Finally I realize that the driver is going to leave the engine running so I get up and go over to ask him why. I knock on the door and he waves at me to come in. We visit a bit and I ask him why he didn't shut the engine off. His answer wasn't too techinical, "company policy." This guy has been driving for the same tour company for twelve years and the company policy is to leave their engines running all the time, except on overnight trips. He had no idea why they didn't shut the engines down, he was just doing as told. Why would these tour companies leave their engines running like that? He also had a gen set running, company policy. If someone has an explanation for this "company policy" I sure would like to hear it. I wish I had made note of the company name and I would call them Monday and ask myself, but I didn't even look at the name.
Pro Driver records excessive idling
It would seem to me that excessive idling would not be good for the engine. I have noticed that my ProDriver measures the length of time that the engine runs at idle. So there must be a negative associated with excessive idling.
Paul's comment about keeping the coach cool/warm makes sense if the bus is not equipped with a generator. But if it has a generator to run roof airs, I don't understand why run the main engine.
Additionally, it seems like a waste of diesel to let it run on high idle for 8 hours! This would have been a good question to ask at United Engines in OKC.