Drivers of long-haul trucks who have traditionally idled their engines while on rest breaks or layovers in the city now have an alternative.

Truckers using the Petro Stopping Center at I-285 and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway (Bankhead Highway), can now shut down their engines and still enjoy heat and air conditioning, AC power, a Pentium-class computer, high-speed Internet, phone access, television and movies in the comfort of their truck.
IdleAire Technologies Corp. opened the first phase of its planned $2.5 million Advanced Travel Center Electrification (ATE) system deployment in Georgia last week. Drivers immediately began connecting to the IdleAire system, which was initially installed in 63 parking spaces.
"We had one driver pull in, hook his truck up and then come to the IdleAire office in the parking lot before we were really ready to start serving customers," said Bill Buzbee, senior vice president of operations. "We told him we didn’t have everything hooked up, only heat, air and television at that point. He said that was fine, went back to his truck, sold four other drivers around him on the service and helped them hook up."
Atlanta is the fourth deployment of the new IdleAire system, which enables drivers to turn off their heavy-duty diesel engines instead of idling them to provide heat and air conditioning, and to power in-cab accessories while they rest.
Shutting down the engine improves driver comfort, as well as air quality and noise levels, and cuts the costs of fuel and maintenance for truck owners. The hourly charge for services is less than the cost of the diesel fuel used to idle a heavy-duty truck each hour, and IdleAire shares revenues with parking lot operators. IdleAire installs, operates and maintains the system. The IdleAire system delivers heat, air and communications and entertainment packages to the cab by way of a service delivery module that fits in the truck window using a simple-to-install $10 adapter that drivers carry. Drivers select desired services using the module, which is driven by a Pentium-class computer with a color touch screen.
In addition to individually controlled heat and air, the basic service package includes:
-- Unlimited high-speed Internet via the touch screen
-- USB connections for a keyboard, mouse or other computer accessories
-- Unlimited email, including free personal email accounts
-- Local and long distance telephone service access
-- Television connection and 20 television channels
-- Electrical outlets inside the cab and out for fuel and engine block heaters, and 110-volt appliances inside the cab
-- On-site IdleAire personnel and help desk available 24/7.
Cost of the basic service is $1.25/hr for independent truck owners and fleets that have signed agreements with IdleAire. Drivers swipe a fleet card, credit card, or pre-paid IdleAire card through the service module’s integral card reader to pay for the service. IdleAire shares revenue with the travel center owners. Truck or fleet owners pay for basic services because it improves the work environment for their drivers and saves the owner money.
IdleAire also offers additional services, including a high-speed Internet connection and wireless Internet for drivers who carry personal computers, movie and sports television packages, and first release movies. Drivers who choose these extras pay for them personally. The IdleAire system also offers a computer-based interactive driver training curriculum for truck owners needing drivers trained in various subjects.
IdleAire delivers all services through a window-mounted computer module using a yellow, flexible, concentric ductwork at each parking space. The round, yellow duct connects each computer module to the heating and cooling units – one for each parking space – mounted on an overhead truss. The duct also serves as the conduit for all other services.
In addition to Atlanta, IdleAire has locations in Knoxville, Tenn., at DeWitt Plaza on the New York Thruway, and in the South Bronx. The company is engineering 16 additional sites for new system deployments in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Texas, New York and California. The IdleAire system can be installed in travel centers, loading facilities, truck terminals, border crossings, port facilities and any other location where trucks park and idle for extended periods.
A private company, IdleAire was formed in June 2000. The company maintains corporate headquarters, and a research and development center in Knoxville, Tenn.
For more information, go to www.idleaire.com, or call (865) 342-3600.