Back in the 1960's I did a short stint with REA Express. We had several over the road White Freightliner tractors with Detroit diesels that had air starters. In the cold winter months they were a bear to start. They were always equipped with block heaters and plugged in anytime the temperatures got near freezing. When temperatures hovered near the 0 mark the night watchman would put a charcoal grill under each of the oil pans.
In the morning when I came in I had to start not only my truck, but all the others as well. Occasionally pressing the glow plug button and giving it a squirt of either would do the job. More often than not the air tank ran dry before you heard a single pop from the engine. When that happened I had to fire up the portable air compressor and climb up on the roof of each truck and fill the air tank. Diesels have come a long way since that era.
Here's a video of a Detroit being started with an air starter. Keep in mind this truck would have been brand new when I was working for REA Express.