Came into work one day last week and there’s 2 foriegn trucks parked outside curtains pulled and engine ticking over, stopped in layby for a break and another truck doing the same and in fact seen quite a few lately doing the same, so do these people prefer keeping warm this way or do some trucks still not have night heaters ?
They’re just keeping the batteries charged after more than a few hours of drawing power for (insert chosen entertainment here).
Silver_Surfer:
They’re just keeping the batteries charged after more than a few hours of drawing power for (insert chosen entertainment here).
It’s just that I hardly see any Brits doing that when nighting out.
I’ve been sat in a German autohof since 19.30 Friday, it’s a poorly maintained hire truck desperate for a set of tyres and batts, been ticking over most of the weekend and struggles to turn the engine over first thing. The tyres are “legal” but useless in even a smattering of snow.
Are they the “winter tyres” that they stipulate at this time of year in Germany?
Yes, but ■■■■■■■■■■■■ so useless.
being from across the water and away a lot im guessing their cabs are full of all kinds of electrical stuff (like mine was) in this weather even if i was stopped overnight i would run the engine for 20 minutes or so
Probably a combination of old crap batteries that their companies refuse to replace and dont last all night with the heater going. Plus they could have been parked up for longer than 9 or 11 hours and in some circumstances they could be parked for days waiting for a reload or just out of time and taking a 24/45hr break etc. I know when I used to get weekended coming back from Switzerland I’d run it for an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening before bed or it’d be flat before morning and as people were largely on digital tachoes by then, nobody would be able to move over to me to jump start me so it was a nightmare.
Probably old, useless batts that suffer from excessive use and need the engine ticking to manage allow a few home comforts to run…
And the Diesel’s cheaper over there so that wont worry them so much as a UK haulier. Eddie.
Night heater could well be broken hense leaving the engine running…
bald bloke:
Silver_Surfer:
They’re just keeping the batteries charged after more than a few hours of drawing power for (insert chosen entertainment here).It’s just that I hardly see any Brits doing that when nighting out.
But the british drivers don’t have to spend days in laybys… Some of the foreigner blokes sometimes waiting for days, to get something to be taken to Erope.
I always run the engine for 15 minutes at the end of the evening when I’ve been parked up, I’ll have had the interior lights on for a few hours, maybe the TV or the lappy, probably the night heater for a bit, my batteries are fine but a few hours of current draw will take them below 24v.
bald bloke:
Silver_Surfer:
They’re just keeping the batteries charged after more than a few hours of drawing power for (insert chosen entertainment here).It’s just that I hardly see any Brits doing that when nighting out.
You have not been parked up near me yet then. 
I doubt they will be watching Coronation Street or Stenders so they will be watching videos and DVD. My old TV/Video could flatten a new set of batteries with two films. Add to this a sky box, a satellite and a fridge/cool box
erfguy:
And the Diesel’s cheaper over there so that wont worry them so much as a UK haulier. Eddie.
Not cheaper by much these days.