Idleaire closing

Good topic. The truckstops are the reason that Idleaire went out of business, IMHO. When I had my own truck, I talked to a guy about getting Idleaire one night at the Petro in Fargo, ND, because it was -15 and I was going to have to idle (BTW I hate idling because of the vibrations). After further explanation, it was simply cheaper to idle the truck that night. However, he explained to me why it was high. Get this: Instead of buying their own property, or buying the truck stop property, they were leasing the property from the truckstops and the truck stops were raping them (not really a shocker there. But, he also told me that Idleaire took a lot of government money, so I don't know if this government money ran dry because it was an experiment, or because they were expected to turn a certain profit or else they would lose funds. I don't know. I do know that they weren't making any money - that was easy to see, because no one was ever hooked up to it.

Myth: If you're not using idle aire you can't park there. Not true - you could park there. I confirmed this with many idle aire employees.
Myth: You can't idle in an idle aire parking spot. Not true - they would ask you not to idle, but they couldn't enforce it.
Myth: You can't park in an idle aire spot with an orange cone. Not true - the orange cones were to reserve spots for drivers that had called them and had a spot reserved, but the policy was that if there was no other parking in the truck stop that idle aire had to let you have that spot. Yes, sometimes I had to take a reserved spot to find parking to take a shower. That is why they couldn't enforce the idling policy.

Truth: Idle aire took away all the parking .... yes, BUT, and it's a big BUT: Idleaire created SAFE parking....it didn't bother me to nose in, because all you had to do, if you didn't feel safe backing out, was call them, and they would spot you. What bothered me more was trucks that deliberately would take up two spots. I often wondered if these were the same guys that made fun of JB hunt taking up two spots in a traditional parking area. With idle aire gone, it will be back to goofy parking any kind of way at the truckstops...LOL.

Thoughts: Obviously these truckstops bought land a long time ago, and in certain areas that land is very valuable today, so I can't blame them for leasing that land instead of selling it. Idle aire should have bought their own land - which leads me to an excellent idea. On the 401 in Ontario, Canada, and in Utah, on I-15, they have those public/private co-op rest area. Instead of leasing land from the truckstops, why didn't the government simply expand some of the rest areas (like Indiana and Texas have [in certain areas]), truck parking only areas, and even the weigh station/rest havens (like Kentucky) and install the idle aire in those areas? They would have created more parking, instead of reducing it. It is taxpayer money that is funding idle aire anyway, so it seems like it would have been better spent that way. I'll bet that they could have reduced the cost of idle aire. But, truck drivers don't think of this stuff - politicians do - and that is the problem.

Although I never used it, it was a good idea, but they have to find a way to reduce the cost if it is going to succeed in the future. In the meantime, the APU is the way to go - IMHO.

 

Idleaire never took any government money. It was all private investors.

There was one guy in Knoxville that owned several trucks. He hated Idleaire so, being a jackarse, he'd drop his reefer trailers in the Idleaire spots and leave them there for days. They tried towing them out and moving them to other spots but he just put locks on all of them. I hope he's fully enjoying the economy right now.

 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/103446109.html

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5620100/Not-standing-idle-trucking-industry.html

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Misc/misc.transport.trucking/2008-05/msg00404.html

 

False. I was TOLD to move from a spot at the Petro in Knoxville.

Again FALSE. I was threatened with arrest by Knox County Sheriff's Deputies if I didn't move (because I was not using the facilities at that same above mentioned Petro).

The rest I don't disagree with. In fact, I hope these truckstops purchase up the infrastructure left by IdleAir, and charge a decent rate.

 

Dunno how long it's been since you've been on the 401, but close to 3/4 of those rest areas have been closed and/or bulldozed in the last year. The signs say "Redeveloping to serve you better" or some such nonsense, but in most cases there are no concrete plans to rebuild.

 

Yes, I saw some of them bulldozed, but I didn't know the signs were lying about rebuilding ... that sucks ... I loved to park at those - some of them even had little picnic tables, etc.

 

As an Idleaire customer I'll second Roadkill's statements.

I have gone to both Idleaire employees and to truckstop security if Idleaire was closed for the night when non customers chose to park beside me and idle my sanity away. They were forced to move.

We've also seen on a number of occasions and requested once that a non customer be moved when no other Idleaire space was available. The non customers were moved.

And to those that will now criticize me for doing these things: boo freaking hoo. I paid my money for that air conditioning......I wanted that air conditioning and someone with the ability to idle all night could go park in the regular spaces.

I'm so glad I don't need Idleaire now.

 

Well you paid for a monthly service. Not that parking spot.
The truck was parked there.
Driver getting his rest and you crying like a little school girl and have him kicked out..

Did you ever think when said driver came in the other spots might have been filled up???

Just like the time the Idle aire lady asked me to move up.I moved up 10 feet. Other trks. could get by me, but oh no I'm still blocking her spot she says and calls the cops..

Petro, Effingham,Il. and guess what?
They threaten to arrest me..
I'm 130 long and it's 10 pm at night and they tell me I have to move...

They were so worried that it took 3 cop cars to come and tell me this..

Try moving a big load around the parking lot at night and it's packed..
Screw Idleaire and screw the perto in Effingham...

Talked with the manager for Petro in the am.
They said they had no idea what had happened.
They did not call the cops..

Heck I'll help pay for the gas axes to tear the #### things down..

Heck I'll do it for the scrap metal and wiring....

 

I was refused parking at the Bloomington, IL TA once. They had two whole rows virtually empty, no one parked in them, and the rows with no Idleair were completely full. I haven't been back to that dump since.

I told that Idleair attendant that give it a year, your job will be gone and this crap they put in our way will be laying in the grass with weeds growing up over it.

 

Well, I gues idle aire's service is done too. Parked at a TA to eat yesterday in Minnesota. Forgot where it was but it was the one that had the viking/scandinavian themed restaurant. Cute. They had idle aire but all the tubes were gone.