I just bought a new 2005 Chevy crew cab standard box Duramax-Allison. The GM employee discount and rebate made it hard not to buy. I know a diesel is made to work and haul, but I won't be doing a lot of that. I will be driving to work round trip of 20 miles per day and using as personal vehicle mostly. Please tell me how I should handle the short work trips as far as warm up, etc. I know a lot will think I don't need a diesel and you may be right, but I love the truck and want to know how to take care of it properly on the short trips. I do put about 20,000 miles per year on my personal vehicles. Thanks.

For what little hauling I do I also could get by with the V-6 gasser most of the time. Bought the diesel mainly because I wanted to. Most of my short trips fall in the 15 to 20 mile zone also. You can start the thing up but it will never reach OP Temp idling.
I let it idle 30 seconds to a min. then drive it easy until OP Temp is reached. Don't know if this is best practice or not. As long as I get 3 or 4 yrs or service from it I'm happy.

I am no different that both of you. I do mostly local trips. I allways let the truck warm up for a minute or two, then drive it easy till I am close to operating temp. On my way home I am easy on it for the last mile or so, and before i shut the truck down, I idle for 30 secounds or more just to cool down the turbo. This is an oldshool practice and some will say its not nessisary, but I think its a good idea.