Cold weather diesel owners

[IDemo]

I have a neighbor up the street who owns a late model Ford F250 with a diesel engine. He starts and runs the engine several times daily when the temp gets below 40°F or so. He does not have a block heater plugged in, and the truck is never garaged.

Now, understanding that diesel fuel can begin turning into Jello at cold temps, can it really be the case that these vehicles demand an hour or more of idling daily just to maintain reliable operation when it's not even at or below freezing? Is the added fuel expenditure and CO2 output really worth it for those who do not have a business reason for requiring the towing torque?