 Fuel
Economy Focus
JESSICA SHEA CHOKSEY:
Two years ago we reported on an innovative idea to get big rigs to shut down their idling engines when stopping for their mandatory breaks. Now, an update on IdleAire’s Advanced Truckstop Electrification service and the effect it’s had on our environment.
An idling truck burns about a gallon of diesel fuel an hour, a considerable expense for each required ten-hour stop.
For two-thirds of that cost, IdleAire provides in-cab heat, A/C, satellite TV, and internet access through special window-mounted service modules, so long-haul truckers can save while they snooze.
Since our initial report, use of the IdleAire service has increased to over 5 million hours per year. The company has over 110 locations in 35 States, and now has more than 65 hundred service modules installed.
TOM BADGETT, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, IDLEAIRE:
As of today, IdleAire has provided about 14 million hours of service to drivers across the country. That equates to 14 million gallons more or less of diesel fuel that wasn’t used, 143,000 metric tons of air emissions that were cut off at the source.
CHOKSEY:
The service has also caught the attention of big trucking companies. Fleets now account for over 85% of IdleAire’s customer base. For them, idle reduction means less wear and tear on engines and lower maintenance and fuel costs.
So far IdleAire has proved to be beneficial not only to the trucking industry, but also to the environment as a whole. And that’s it for this week’s MotorNews.
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