IdleAire: A Hit for Drivers, Fleets, Travel Centers, and Communities

Being a "trucker" used to be quite a lonely job, hours on the road going between one destination and another.

Not anymore.

While some truck stops in the country have Internet jacks, Wi-Fi technology, and lounges with cable television, some drivers have experienced such amenities in their vehicles.

Stopping at the Petro truck stop in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, located off exit 52B of Interstate 81, I noticed small yellow large vacuum tubes connected to a steel grid at the top and with a monitor at the other end.

The Carlisle stop has the capability of 72 trucks being hooked into the system at the same time while larger truck stops can handle over 100 trucks at one time.

I walked over and had the opportunity to speak to an IdleAire staff member who explained how the technology enables truckers to receive a variety of services by inserting a small gray service module, which is attached to the
yellow tube, into the window of their cab by purchasing a $10 window adapter.

The unit includes 120 volt electric outlets which can be used to plug in devices both inside and outside the cab for appliances, block/fuel heaters, and other accessories.

Next to these plugs, there are filtered heat and air conditioner vents which are thermostat controlled with recycled air from the cab.

The staff member told me that IdleAire is environmentally friendly since such features used to require truckers to have their engines idling.

The technology allows truckers to turn off their engines, use less gasoline, and put less fumes in the air.

The typical 100-space travel plaza, if experiencing a 66% occupancy on average generates 6,271 tons of emissions each year due to idling.

100% of emissions associated with extended diesel idling are removed using IdleAire including nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, violate organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.

The system reduces 98% of criterial pollutants under the Clean Air Act after accounting for the electricity from the grid used to power the system, and an overall 83% net emissions reduction.