idelair question
 

This past saturday was the first time i have ever used the Idelair. There was a football game on espn i had to see and i was running extra over the weekend. Do they all pump a/c into the cab that smells like an ashtray? I couldn't stand it. As soon as the game was over i unhooked it and moved to a place where i could idle my truck. The real pisser was, i had to go to the terminal and drop my trailers, then bob tail back to truckstop. The idelair rep said it was only nose in parking and no parking available for doubles. I guess it has it's advantages, but seems like a big hassle if you pull doubles all the time.

Re: idelair question
 

If you get one that smells like that, call the IdleAir people on the CB, they keep fabreze on their carts that take the smell right out of the system. Although the systems have a good filter, the smell still gets in there. It would not be practical to have a non-smoker section. I keep my own fabreze and air freshener in my truck.

As far as pulling doubles and Idleair, they are not at all set up for the double for the most part. Other than that is is a pretty good service.

Yep, gotta have the febreeze!! Some of the idleaire people will change the filters if ya ask em to.

tootie

Is this "IdleAIR" you guys speak of anything like "IdleAIRE" at the truck stops

Forgive my ignorance, but what is IdleAire? Newbie needs to know. Obviously it sounds as if it's supposed to suppress idling fumes or has to do with shutting down your motor. Thanks

http://www.idleaire.com/

Here is some info for ya shipmate.

Holy Crap, thats amazing. Thanks for the info. JayB.

Thats Cyanide Mr. foodgrade tankerman on there website. Above where it says Drivers.

So whats the fee to hook up to those for the night and what terminals carry them?

I am not a fan of Idleaire, I know there have been a few posts about it. But I have a question regarding its use. (anyone out there with experience with them).

I pull into a T/S for my 10hr break. I pull into a parking slot serviced by Idleaire. I use there service for maybe 1-2hrs then shut off all there services, push the tube out the window close the curtains and go to sleep. Will Idleaire come around and request that I move my truck to a non-Idleaire spot???

IdleAire is just an option you don't have to use their services to park in those slots the slots are still parking slots at whatever truck stop you're at ,and using IdleAire is just an option.

Most of the time they will. They're pretty strict on making sure you use the service while taking up a spot.

Im aware of the "rules" of Idleaire, but they will come around a request (ask) that you move your truck if you are not using there services. Another reason not to use idleaire. Use it for 1-2hrs then stop the service, they want you to move to a non idleaire spot, (good luck with that). IMO Idleaire is nothing more than a profit making company, interested in seperating money from the driver. In the grand scheme of things, Idleaire will hardly put a dent in any fuel savings and pollution emissions for/from trucks. Even if all Idleaire spots that are available were used everyday, the number of trucks parked (in all locations not just truckstops) in the country at any given time and location is far greater than Idleaire can hope to capture. The true Idling solution lies within the truck itself, if all trucks were equipt with APUs of some form, that is a viable solution to idling. (and would quickly put Idleaire out of business). Freeing up parking spots that they are robbing us from.

We use idleaire sometimes. It beats running the truck. We have never been asked to move if we are not using the service BUT we try to be nice to our neighbors and NOT idle our truck while in an idle aire spot.

For the newbies...ALOT of companies offer idleaire to the drivers. I know Arrow pays for like 10 hours (it used to anyways) and there are alot of other companies that offer it. Just ask your dispatcher.

I like it because we get cable TV and can hook up our electrical stuff to it while we are parked.

We have also been on the other side of the coin and NOT used the service and been denied a parking space (sometimes they block them off) because we were not going to use the service.

So I can understand the frusteration of both sides.

tootie

Well I'm sure they wil ask...But they don't own the parking slots the truck stop does , so they CAN NOT kick you out of a slot for not using the service. I know this because many times late at night or super early morning and I park in these spots , As most drivers won't because they assume Idle air owns the parking slots (they don't ) so there is most time an empty spot . I was asked to leave once and I spoke of this to the manager at the petro I was at ,and he said they CAN NOT make you move they don't own the parking just equipment .

I know that Idleaire doesnt "own" those parking slots, but they sure can pressure you into thinking you need to move to allow parking of Idleaire customers, even if you may have used the service for a short period, then shut it down to sleep.

Heres a thought, If Idleaire doesnt "own" the parking slots and anybody can park in the slot, what gives them the right to put out the orange cones to hold parking slots for presumed inbound trucks with reservations?
If they dont "own" the parking slot they have no right to restrict the parking in that slot.

While they may not own the parking lot, I'm sure they do in fact lease those spots. In leasing those spots they probably can make you leave, but they don't do it to maintain a good image.

I don't understand why some people get so upset with Idleaire. Yes they charge you for a service and that service requires a space. So why do some drivers feel the right to park anywhere they please? If you don't use it, don't park there. Because you very well might be taking up a spot a paying customer will want and can't get because you're pissed or feel entitled to the spot in question.

The problem there is that when you pull into most IdleAire equipped truckstops, the free parking spots are completely full and only a few trucks in the IA spots.

Now, if they tell you that you can't park in that spot and you have to move, then what?

Then you go somewhere else.

What's fair here? A business trying to make a profit giving away free spots? Again, if you take a spot and don't pay and they fill up and then if someone wants to use IdleAir, they can't. Imagine if it's a driver who's company pays for IA and frowns heavily on idling. You've now screwed that driver.

The bottom line is IA is most likely here to stay and drivers need to just accept the fact that they will take up some spots. It's only going to spread as more truck stop locations are accepting IA. Your real beef is with the truck stops. Don't blame it on IA.

Yes I was kinda assuming that we understood the "free" spots were full.

I remember an issue of the T/A magazine had an articile about Idleaire, and the rules of use. One rule clearly stated that you do not have to use the service to park in one of the Idleaire slots.

Again IMO Idleaire created and contributed to another problem in the industry, parking. It is just somebodies idea to capitalize on the truckdrivers.

The investment monies utilized in establising and maintaining (let alone paying employees) Idleaire, probably could have been better invested in APU's, to help offset the cost of the unit and installing them on the trucks.

I still have a feeling that Idleaire is going to go out of business like the old Park and View (or whatever they were), and all that investment monies will be lost.

Again, don't blame Idleaire, blame the truck stop. IA didn't force their way in. IA provides a service that you may or may not use. But if it really bothers you so much, then complain to the corporate offices of the truck stops that lease the space.

I talked to one of the idleaire reps when they were opening the IA at the Petro in Fargo. And he said that Petro's and TA's both allow IA to block off spots even after the free parking is full. And Pilot states that they have to open up thier spots once the free parking is full. Which is why he also said that IA is considering pulling out of Pilot's.

Hey maybe the few spots of parking IdleAire doesn't use up at the Truck stops the crackhead rim polishers can claim for their business ,and force a driver to pay $20.00 -$40.00 for their services in order to park the night , By your logic I think this sounds fair ,as there are tons of trucks at the truck stops that don't use the service of a professional " RIM JOBBER" ,and they take up valuable parking for potential "RIM JOBBER" cliantel .

Yep, they can put those spots right next to the toothless window washers that use the same rag a thousand times over.
:lol:

I just don't understand why some people get their nose out of whack over this. Not once have I ever thought twice about IA and the spots they're "stealing" or how they "capitalize" from us. If I get to that point I'll hang it up and find a new career. IT"S NOT IDLEAIRE'S FAULT that the TRUCK STOP brought in their business. If it upsets you that much then take it to the owners of TA, Petro, Pilot and Loves.

For my money..Idleaire works. At $1.85 an hour, that beats the heck out of idling at $2.75 to $3.12 an hour..depending on the cash price for fuel, and how much fuel a truck burns for each hour it idles.

I use "Oust" instead of Fabreze to "de-con" the unit once I have it hooked up and running. Less of a chemical smell to "Oust" than there is with Fabreze.

Well I only try to stop at truck stops to fuel/shower ,and shut down at shipper or receiver ,as the parking at the shipper or reciver usually allows me to get out of the truck ,and do something ,as opposed to the sardine tight parking at truck stops . And I think the only reason I dislike IdleAire is it makes refuge for those that can't back thus taking away some of my "FREE" entertainment while parked and not sleeping .

And its also something that is called a "Driver Benefit" at Superior Carriers, where the COMPANY pays for it :D

I've seen a number of truck stops, including TA's and Petro's where trucks not using the service were parked in the stalls.

Even though Superior provides the service to us as a benefit...if I should happen to park in one of those stalls...and not need the service...if an IA employee tells me I have to move... I'll ask them to provide me a copy of their "title" to the property, or a certified copy of the landowners contract granting them control of egress and ingress to said property. Otherwise, they can "take a hike" and tell someone who cares. NOTE: If I am not going to use the service....I won't park in an IA slot, unless its all thats left. But then again...I spend less time in truckstops than anywhere else to sleep....

While I am essentially in complete agreement with you.... I know that there are companies not installing the APU's because the asshole treehuggers in some states are pushing to get the APU's covered under the same rules as engines vis a vis No Idling laws. SO the companies are looking at the APU's as a bad investment or are just cheap and don't want to admit it.

I tend to disagree.... I think you will see more of this type of installation, and quite possibly other companies coming on line. There is a significant push to push down fuel consumption and waste due to prices, and also to lower emissions....and neither issues are going to fade away. The EPA has an interest in this issue and frankly.... I see it as a good thing. What they really need to do is get more states involved in providing more "truck friendly" parking (rest areas) that have this kind of setup....especially in states that have highly restrictive anti-idling laws....which is just about the entire NE....

But I do wish we had APU's with the A/C and heat units..... I hate idling.

Just curious, whatever happened to Park-N-View??? Did they go belly up??

Yes.....a long time ago.

I see it too, even pulled into their stalls during slow periods at the T/S, just to run in for a shower. But to take a full break in one and not use the service or use it for only an hour or two, then cut it off, Id bet most of the time the attendant would come a running to get you to buy their service. If he didnt then he is an attendant who really doesnt care.

Im getting more to that point also, I run a dedicated account and more often than not I only use the T/S for a full break everyother day or so. I much prefer spending my breaks at the customers.

Idleaire's main goal is to make $$$, and from what I understand they are doing a really bad job at making any money. Idleaire cannot be everywhere, covering everyplace a truck may be parked for an extended period. But an APU can be. I also believe if the industry started adapting more APU's, especially if they are installed on the truck from the manufacturer, the price on the APU's would drop considerably. Financing an APU into the cost a new truck wouldnt change the payments very much. Also, advancements in APU technology could make them more Treehugger friendly. Lawn mower engines probably pollute at least as much as an APU.


Idleaire is so far in the Red, Ive heard they may be trying to go Public, In a desperate means of trying to recover the investors loses before they go bellyup. But this is unconfirmed. But I do know their loses are huge, and when I pull into T/S and see less than half the Idleaires in use and not all of these are actually "Plugged in" and all the "free" spaces are pretty much full. This tells me alot about Idleaires future.


I agree 100%, and Id really love to have an APU when I overnight at my customers when there is a residental area backed right up to the receiving area of my stores. I usually have to drive around and find the best place where I wont distrub them for the couple hours I may be idling. Im not always Idling for HVAC, it may be a very nice night and not need HVAC at all, but I may be just idling for a couple hours for the use of "hotel" power, (run computer, watch TV etc....)