The last-minute loss of an investment infusion of close to $4 million has led to the near closing of DriverNet.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based operator of 450 internet kiosks at truckstops let all but a dozen of its 80-person staff go on Tuesday.
In a telephone interview, DriverNet President and CEO David Buckley said the company plans to keep the workstations, along with its network servers, frame relays and web site, up until a buyer is found. He said shutting them down and then bringing them back up could lead to problems with the systems, once a new owner is found.
That will be done with a skeleton crew. "We are closing the system down as it existed and there will be no marketing, sales or development efforts."
DriverNet was close to securing $3.9 million from an unidentified private investor to keep the service up and running, but just before the deal was consummated, the investor reportedly died and the survivors did not want to invest the cash.
According to Bradley, "DriverNet has several suitors at this time," but he would not disclose who they are. When asked if the company had filed for or was going to file for bankruptcy protection, Bradley declined to comment, but said more information about the situation would soon be forthcoming.
DriverNet was started in 1996 by private investors, who formed TIMM Communications, with the first of the DriverNet workstations being installed in June, 1997. In March of last year they received an undisclosed equity investment from GE Capital.
Owner-operators and trucking companies set up DriverNet e-mail accounts and electronic pay settlements so they could receive immediate information about their pay settlements. In the past year DriverNet had also reached agreements with freight-matching service provider DAT Services to offer its services through DriverNet, and they most recently introduced a new wireless service for drivers and small fleet owners.