Airlines Go Old School
These last few weeks I have had to fly. Flying is not one of my favorite things to do. All in all I would rather drive. When I do fly, I observe how the airlines operate. There are a lot of similarities between 
airlines and trucking companies as well as between pilots and truck drivers. We both have schedules to meet and hours of service requirements to comply with. We also have to pay for fuel and maintenance.
Both airlines that I flew on went old school. Before we deplaned they asked the passengers to turn off their reading lights and close the shades. They did this to help the plane stay cool during the unloading and reloading process. Recently, on the women in trucking face book page, one of the driver's trucks would go into a regen early in the morning. It did not have an APU. That would have been the ideal solution. It had a system that would start and idle the engine to keep the driver cool and comfortable. In the recent extreme heat, the truck would not quite make it through the night before needing a standing regen. That would awaken the driver.
I suggested that the driver try a couple of old school ideas. The first idea was to pre cool the bunk. Run 
the bunk AC on high during the last 30-60 minutes of driving. Then when you get in the bunk close the curtains. Set the acceptable temperature range a little wider. The driver should consider the purchase of a 12 volt fan. The problem was that the truck idled enough during the night, that it would have to regen. I felt that by combining these old school ideas it might reduce the idle time enough to eliminate the need for a standing regen.
These ideas would not have eliminated the need to idle. They would have reduced the need to idle. By reducing the need to idle. The chances of needing to do a standing idle would have been reduced. The ideas were not meant to do anything, but reduce the need for a standing regen.
The reaction to my ideas were mixed. Some drivers obviously just want to complain about the new 
trucks. Other drivers wanted to complain about the new breed of drivers. You know. The old schoolers who walked to school uphill – both ways in six inches of snow in their bare feet. I think of few comments on the thread indicated that I was that guy. Well, they aren't completely wrong. Back in the day, I owned a camping sleeping bag. The bag was bigger by the toes to keep my clothes warm. The stocking cap helped keep my head warm. Today's driver demands more comfort from their trucks than we did. They are right. Drivers should be able to sleep in relative comfort. They should also learn to work with their truck combine comfort and efficiency.