IdleAire Technologies Corp. has reached an agreement to install its units that provide heating, air conditioning and other services at Petro Stopping Centers nationwide.
The deal to provide IdleAire Advanced Travel Center Electrification was announced at the NATSO Show 2002 in Nashville, Tenn.
ATE provides heat and air conditioning as well as electrical shore power inside and outside stationary trucks, allowing drivers to turn off their truck engines while they rest.
Petro will be the first travel plaza in the United States to offer ATE service.
The ATE system places individual heating and air conditioning units in an overhead truss above each parking space. Heat, air conditioning, shore power and other services are supplied via a hose that connects the overhead unit to the service delivery module in the truck window or in a special port in the sleeper.
ATE service includes a laptop-style computer with a 10.4-inch color touch screen used to control the heating and air conditioning and for accessing the Internet. ATE basic service also includes a local telephone line in every cab, television and Internet access with
e-mail. Users also can purchase additional business and entertainment services. Costs are $1.25 an hour for subscribers and $1.50 per hour for non-subscribers.
“We immediately recognized the synergy between IdleAire’s technology solutions and Petro’s adoption of leading-edge solutions for the travel center industry,” said David Everhart, IdleAire’s senior vice president of strategic relations.
The first Petro ATE installations will be in Knoxville, Tenn., Atlanta, and West Memphis, Ark. Construction is expected to begin this month, with the facilities operational at all three locations by mid-summer. Installations at other travel centers will follow. Everhart said IdleAire is absorbing the entire cost of installation, which is $6,000 to $8,000 per parking space. Petro has 56 travel centers in 38 states with more than 14,000 truck parking spaces.
“We are always looking for new offerings and services to help provide long-haul professional drivers a better home away from home,” said Petro President Jim Cardwell. “IdleAire’s Advanced Travel Center Electrification is state-of-the-art, and we are excited about deploying this technology to improve drivers’ environments while improving the environment for everyone by eliminating emissions from idling trucks.”
Last August, IdleAire installed and operated two commercial demonstration facilities at New York Thruway rest areas and the Hunts Point Distribution Center in Bronx, N.Y. These facilities are currently being expanded.
TravelCenters of America also announced that it has signed a letter of intent to install three IdleAire models at three truckstops in Texas. Everhart said IdleAire expects more truckstop deals to be finalized in the near future.
