Updated September 2026
Winter
Winter idling payback calculator: how fast a 12V cooler pays for itself
One season of idling through rest periods, priced out — and how fast a 12V cooler pays for itself against that.
Winter idling payback calculator
Diesel and idle-burn defaults are sourced figures; the rest pattern and cooler price are our published assumptions. Change any number below and the math re-runs.
Your winter
Assumptions shown. Diesel and idle-burn figures are sourced; rest pattern and cooler price are our published assumptions — swap in your own. Math assumes the driver bears fuel cost (owner-operators). We do not claim a cooler alone replaces idling for cab heat: the defensible bundle is a cooler plus a fuel-fired cab heater, which burns under a tenth of idling fuel (NRCan).
Research-based. We did not test these hands-on. Scores come from published specs and driver reviews. Every default on this page is a published figure or a labelled assumption — change any number and the math re-runs.