With stricter idling regulations becoming more common in many jurisdictions, and more rules guaranteed to arrive, this 8-page Cummins guide explains the situation and offers a summary of current idling regulations in the U.S. A state-by-state overview of regulations is complimented by background information on truck idling, emerging regulations, and what you can do to comply.

As far as we’re aware, there’s no equivalent guide for Canada.

With U.S. federal regulation of trucking growing ever weaker in the wake of deregulation, state and local governments have been creating idling legislation at an increasing rate. And the result, Cummins suggests, is chaos. While a federal blanket law that overrides state and municipal regulations may yet be created, the odds are not good. The trend, if anything, is toward stricter rules. In the meantime, the trucker is still at the mercy of local government enforcing a local noise ordinance applying to idling trucks. In New York, for example, truck drivers caught idling their engines for more than five minutes face fines up to $1000, says the Cummins guide.

This compendium of idling regs was updated in July, 2006. Cummins notes that the information in the guide is for reference purposes only and should not be relied upon for regulatory compliance. The information comes via the American Trucking Associations and their website – URL below — should be referenced for specific requirements.

The guide is available for download in pdf form at the Cummins Comfort Guard APU website.