Cab Tools

Winter idle-fuel cost calculator

Idle hours, diesel price, idle burn — see what a winter of idling costs, and what a bunk heater would save you instead.

Winter Idle Fuel Cost Calculator

Idle hours per day

A 10-hour rest break is the usual overnight number.

Diesel price ($/L)

Canada averaged about $2.70/L in late September 2026 (GlobalPetrolPrices) — your last receipt beats any average.

Your truck at idle

Cold starts and high idle push it up. Most Class 8 tractors land between ~2 and ~5.7 L/hr.

Bunk heater

A Webasto Air Top 2000 STC is specced at 0.12–0.24 L/hr (Webasto) — the presets sit inside real spec ranges.

Nights idled per week

Winter weeks

Roughly November through March across most of Canada.

Estimated winter idling cost

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A bunk heater pays for itself fast here. Diesel air heaters (Webasto, Espar) sip ~0.2 L/hr versus ~3 L/hr at idle — the seasonal saving usually covers the heater and install in one winter.

Above typical idle burn. Most Class 8 tractors land between ~2 and ~5.7 L/hr at idle (0.5–1.5 gal/hr across published sources) — check yours if it is higher.

Idle burn of ~3.0 L/hr is the US DOE typical figure for Class 8 tractors — your engine, idle RPM and winter blend move it.
Bunk-heater burn is a typical estimate inside Webasto’s published 0.12–0.24 L/h spec range — not a measured result.
This counts fuel only. Idle hours also add engine wear and DPF load that a heater avoids.
Some jurisdictions limit idling — a heater keeps you warm where the engine has to stay off.