Why idle?

Depending on what vehicle it was. I have heard on some of the newer ones that they have a regen cycle to clean the DPF filter in the exhaust that requires a higher idle for a period of time. Owner might have just left it to complete the cycle and forgot. Or it was a company truck and they don't pay for the fuel.

Makes no sense in summer. In winter there are several good reasons, including operator comfort and the fact that older diesels were hard starting when cold.

Can't speak for the operator of the delivery truck or the reasons why it was left idling for over an hour...but,

Mine gets shut down if I'm not driving it...(unless I'm letting the EGT's -exhaust gas temperature- come down after a long hard pull. This takes about 5 minutes or less)-I have a pre turbo gauge.

Also, an unattended vehicle left running is inviting car theft.
Shut it down, leave it and lock it.

I'm not an expert. My tractor mechanic was working on my swather. I asked him why the diesel engine ran so well. I drove it out to the field and it zipped right along at 6 or 7 miles an hour. Once I started cutting hay it just bogged down and had no power and the engine died. He said an idling diesel requires almost no fuel to keep it running. Once you apply the load it then starts to consume the fuel. Very little expense letting a diesel run Vs turning it off and back on and warming it back up again. The diesel probably takes more fuel starting it and warming it up than idling while making deliveries. If that delivery man shut that diesel down at every delivery all day long seems it would cause more problems. Very different from gas engines.

A swather is a 14 ft wide (in my case) lawn mower that cuts hay and puts it in swaths on the field so it can dry.

IN many parts of the country (US and Canada) they would ticket the driver who leaves their vehicle at idle unnecessarily.

skipnchar wrote:
IN many parts of the country (US and Canada) they would ticket the driver who leaves their vehicle at idle unnecessarily.

I sure would like to see the section in the law for that cite. I'm not saying it isn't there. I'm just saying I'd sure like to read it. I sure wouldn't want to be the officer writing the cites at a truck stop. :B

WyoTraveler wrote:

skipnchar wrote:
IN many parts of the country (US and Canada) they would ticket the driver who leaves their vehicle at idle unnecessarily.

I sure would like to see the section in the law for that cite. I'm not saying it isn't there. I'm just saying I'd sure like to read it. I sure wouldn't want to be the officer writing the cites at a truck stop. :B

It is quite real and in place in many areas and IIRC is based on an EPA reg.EPA info page on diesel idling

Penalties range up to a year in jail!!!

http://www.atri-online.org/research/idling/ATRI_Idling_Compendium

WyoTraveler wrote:
If that delivery man shut that diesel down at every delivery all day long seems it would cause more problems.

UPS drivers shut their diesel trucks off at every stop around here, I bet they know something about long term cost. ;)

When I was driving a route a while back, my starter was acting up, so it was better to let my truck idle than to be stranded- yeah we eventually got it fixed, but for the short term...

From the UPS website pressroom:

Idling: UPS drivers are trained to always turn off their package cars when they stop for a delivery, never idling at the curb or in a driveway. Even if the driver is out of the truck for a few seconds, the vehicle is always turned off.