August 13 was a day of celebration for IdleAire Technologies as the company celebrated 2 million hours of driver use of its Advanced Travel Center Electrification (ATE) ShorePower system.

IdleAire awarded a prize package to 19 drivers, who were randomly selected at each of IdleAire’s 18 sites that mid-August evening. The drivers received an IdleAire duffle bag stuffed with various items for use on the road, and their names entered into the drawing for a grand prize, which went to Harold Strathy, a National Freight driver from Justin, Texas. Strathy was an IdleAire customer at Bruce’s Truck Stop in Bakersfield, Calif.
Steven Ruiz, a driver for TSMT, also received a grand prize package for recording the most IdleAire visits -- 278. Ruiz said his fleet gives him a choice of a motel room or IdleAire.
"I prefer IdleAire," said Ruiz. "It keeps me with my truck, saves the company money and gives me everything I can get at a motel."
IdleAire and the Truckin’ Bozo Radio Network co-sponsored the grand prize packages, each comprised of a color TV, a Delphi SKYFi Radio Boombox with 6 months free XM satellite radio service, and $50 in IdleAire services.
"The momentum is building as we’re delivering 50,000 hours of service every week," said IdleAire COO David Everhart. "We wanted to celebrate this milestone and show our appreciation to drivers who have helped us achieve it. Together we have taken IdleAire to a new level, setting a new record by delivering the second million hours of service in less than eight months," said Everhart. IdleAire hit the first one million hours of service over the past New Year weekend.
"IdleAire has created better working and resting conditions and healthier air for thousands of hardworking drivers, conserved approximately 2 million gallons of diesel fuel, provided new revenue streams for travel centers and prevented over 21,000 metric tons of diesel emissions from entering the air," said Everhart. "We’ve also created 435 new jobs in seven states along the way."
Other prize winners in the IdleAire 2 Million Hour celebration were Ricky A. Huff, from Cochran, Calif., driving for Arrow Trucking at the Lost Hills, Calif. Love’s; LeeRoy Faison, from Clinton, N.C., driving for John Christner at the Madera, Calif. Pilot; Ramesh Kumar, a Burnabi, B.C., driver driving for Sohi Bros. Enterprises at Rotten Robbie in Santa Nella, Calif.; Darlene Kepner, from Phelan, Calif., driving for Denney Transportation at the Ripon, Calif. Love’s; Randy Price, Talco, Texas, driving for C.R. England at the Los Banos, Calif. Petro; Harold King, Elizabether, Colo., driving for Denney Transport at Hunts Point, N.Y. Market; Montie Williams, Colleyville, Texas, driving for Air Container Transport at the El Paso, Texas Travel Plaza; Cliffton Jennings, Irmo, S.C., driving for Landstar at the El Paso Petro; Vyron Vance, Ozark, Mo., driving for Marten at Dewitt Travel Plaza on the New York Thruway; Rick Kopp, Midland City, Ala., driving for Panther II Transportation; Don Faulkner, San Antonio, Texas, driving for CRST at the San Antonio TA; Mike Healy, Tyler, Texas, driving for Southern Refrigerated Freight at the Bucksville, Ala. Petro; Marvin Spikes, Negreet, La., driving for Carlyle Van Line at the Atlanta, Ga. Petro; Jimmy Moore, Tallahassee, Fla., driving for FedEx Custom Critical at the San Antonio, Texas TA; David Nash, Windsor, Colo., driving for Bullock’s Express at the Dallas, Texas TA; Earnest Howard, Sylvester, Ga., driving for KLM at Chittenango Travel Plaza on the New York Thruway; and Joe Wilson, Elkhart, Texas, driving for JB Hunt at the Knoxville, Tenn. Petro.
IdleAire’s system provides 110-volt electrical outlets, filtered central heat and air conditioning, a Pentium-class computer with color touch screen, high-speed Internet and e-mail, both wireless. It also provides Ethernet connections for drivers with personal computers, a telephone connection and free local phone calls, premium satellite television service, movies on demand and driver continuing education, all delivered to the truck cab.