Hi Everyone - my name is Jeff and I work for IdleAir. I can see that folks had some real bad experiences with IdleAir in the past, and I'd like to help answer your questions and concerns about what we're doing different now.
We've got 21 sites open this very minute in 9 states.
The old company, IdleAire, Inc, went bankrupt and completely ceased operations in late January 2010. Later that spring, a new group of owners/investors, Convoy Solutions, LLC, purchased the remaining IdleAir assets. They bought whatever physical stuff was left over from the company, and had to find people, and re-start the business from a dead stop. They tried to hire back old IdleAire site staff who got a rough deal, just like IdleAire's customers. So the IdleAir you see today is the same great service, but under new ownership and new management. Most importantly, the new ownership and new management have a deep respect for America's hard-working long-haul drivers, and together, we want to better serve you. If there's something we can be doing better, tell us! If there's something you think we should be offering, tell us! We can only be as good as the feedback we get from our customers and drivers.
Many former IdleAire locations have been torn down by TA. Many are still there, waiting to be torn down. The new IdleAir has tried to work with TA management to reopen the sites, to buy back the equipment, to pay back-rent to get to the equipment, to pay to dismantle it, and pay to haul it off their lots. TA management hasn't wanted any part of that, and so they're paying out of their pockets to tear down the equipment that's left and pay out of their pockets to scrap it. Interestingly, TA franchisees see the value in IdleAir and in offering it to their customers, which is why IdleAir has a couple locations open now at TA sites - but those are TA franchisees. IdleAir has sites with Pilot/Flying J, Loves, Bruce's, JJ's Sapp Brothers, and All-American.
Value. IdleAir creates value for our customers. Our top rate is $1.99/hr. Compared to idling that burns 1-1.5 gallons of imported diesel per hour, we're creating great value for our customers by saving them money. Then we add in other services, like 60+ channels of Satellite TV, basic internet, and unlimited electricity inside and outside your cab. We understand value, and we understand that drivers shouldn't give up one shiny penny if they're not getting something of good value in return for it.
APUs, Hotels, and More. There's lots of other options out there, and we're glad that drivers have lots of choices for how they're going to take their rest breaks. We're trying to create value and offer a good service compared with alternatives like APUs and Hotels. These can be very complicated, very heated conversations about each one, but I'll give the highlights and what we're trying to do for each.
APUs. They can cost up to $10k to buy and install, and you need that cash up front. APU's still burn foreign diesel fuel, and have maintenance and repair costs. They have a finite life, and need to be replaced. And if you buy a new truck every 5-6 years, most folks don't take their APU with them. APUs have weight limitations and more states may have anit-APU laws someday. But we see that APU's can go wherever drivers go, and we're trying to work with APU's so that they can use IdleAir, too. For years, our customers have asked to pay for unbundled services, and we're excited to be offering new pricing options later this Spring. For example, drivers with APU's with an electric pass-thru can hook up to IdleAir and use only the electricity - and pay for only the electricity. We're still working out the details, but it'll cost less that diesel and repair and maintenance on your APU. Plus, you can save the life of the APU for when there's no IdleAir convenient.
Hotels. For taking your 10, a hotel is an expensive option. But for 34's, a lot of drivers prefer to spend a little extra and stay at a hotel. IdleAir understands that not all drivers have that extra money for a hotel, and plenty of drivers choose to stay with IdleAir for their 34's. They like the quiet and say it feels more like home. We're proud to soon offer a new promotion for extended stay service. We're still working out the details, but drivers will get a much lower hourly rate after staying for the first ~10 hours. This will make IdleAir a much more appealing option for drivers who want to be comfortable on their 34's but who can't get a hotel room for whatever reason.
Company Drivers. So far, I've been talking mostly about Owner Operators. But for company drivers, IdleAir at any price above $0 can get expensive if they've got to pay out of pocket. So we're doing 2 things. First, get your fleet signed up! It's free to sign up, and your fleets start saving money right away. (And they don't have to invest millions of dollars in APUs). Your fleet is happy, and you're happy because they pay for you to use IdleAir. Everybody wins. The second thing is that we'll be launching a new rewards program for company drivers, so they'll earn points good toward merchandise and one day, maybe even good with other rewards programs. This way, company drivers get extra reason for choosing to use IdleAir.
Site location and design. IdleAir sites are smaller. We've got fewer spaces and they're farther away from the main buildings. This way there's more room for drivers who want to idle, and it's quieter for IdleAir customers. IdleAir customers are more likely to be parked next to another driver also hooked up to IdleAir.
Parking Police. This was a HUGE problem with the old IdleAire, and lots of drivers got seriously disrespected. We've changed that. IdleAir's policy is that if the lot is empty, we request that drivers respect IdleAir customers and find a different place to park and idle. If the lot is full, we understand that drivers have just come in from a hard day's work, and deserve a safe place to rest for the night. With the new site size and layout, along with new policies, we've already seen a major improvement on the lot. Maybe it's not a 100% solution, but it's a whole lot better than what was done in the past. We want to hear good ideas about how we can continue to make things better, and make sure that all drivers and our customers and site staff are all respected.
Cigarette Smoke. This was another BIG complaint under the old IdleAire. Here's what's new: we've got hotel-grade cleaners at each site and more regular maintenance and cleaning so that there's no smoke smell. We've seen these complains fall off almost completely, so if you smell smoke next time you hook up, tell us! And we'll get it fixed.
IdleAir has 21 sites open in 9 states, and we plan to have 40 open by year-end. You can always call our customer service at 877-738-7024 and ask for the location along your route.
Old Balances. We hear this one all the time! IdleAir is honoring ALL balances. We're even honoring unused WiFi balances. And it doesn't matter if you still have your IdleAir card or not. All you need is your name and CDL # and call our customer service at 877-738-7024. There were lots of folks who had some pretty big balances when the old IdleAire closed. We've been trying to call and email those folks to tell them that they've still got a balance and that it's still good. So if you know another driver who had a balance, please tell them so they can get it back and get hooked up with IdleAir again. And just so everyone knows - the old IdleAire didn't give any money for drivers balances to the new IdleAir. We're honoring drivers balances because we know that it's the right thing to do, and we'd want to be treated the same way, too.
"IdleAir is Too Expensive". Yep, we hear this one a lot. But when we sit down and start to look at the numbers, that's just not the case. IdleAir's top rate is $1.99/hr. We've got 9 Grand Opening Sites that are only $1.25/hr through 3/31. We've got discounts available to fleets (both company and OO's), We've got a new VIP rewards program, we've got an upcoming extended-stay promotion, we've got a customer referral promotion, we've got a new customer sign up promotion. After you add in all the promotions and rewards, IdleAir is well under $1.99/hr. What's a gallon of diesel cost you these days? What will it cost you tomorrow? What's the fully-loaded cost of wear and tear on your engine for an hour of idling?
Buy American. We're especially proud of this. It takes energy to keep drivers warm at night and run their TV's and charge their cell phones. Drivers have a choice - they can idle and get that energy from imported diesel, or they can hook up to IdleAir and use energy from the American electric grid, which is American energy from independent American resources like coal, gas, nuclear, wind, hydropower, and more. We help drivers Buy American. So you can shut your engine off and turn your IdleAir on.
TV. The Movies on Demand got complicated, and so we've simplified our Satellite TV offerings. In fact, we gave drivers 6 ESPN channels for free! That's right, the ESPN sports package is now included in IdleAir service at $1.99/hr. Same low price, now with FREE ESPN. And that's there to stay. We've added in ESPN for free, and we're calling the $1.99/hr bundled basic service our "Premium Service". We're doing this because we're about to roll-out the new pricing options for individual services, like electricity-only.
Security. We all know that truck stops aren't the safest places in the world. IdleAir has additional lighting and site staff on location who are trained to identify and report suspicious activity. We're working with Truckers Against Trafficking to help drivers get the tools and information they need to help make the difference in stopping human trafficking. We want to hear ideas about ways we can make you safer and more comfortable and secure - so you don't have to sleep with one eye open.
I hope this has been a start to answering the many questions and concerns y'all have. I know many of you had bad (or worse) experiences with IdleAir in the past. What we're asking is that you give a new group of folks a chance to show you that we're thinking about things differently, and we're doing things differently. And if it's not good enough yet, TELL US, because we want to serve you better. You can always contact us by phone, email, FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, you name it. All the details are available on IdleAir's website.
TA's new showers
Discussion in 'Truck Stops' started by Sequoia, Feb 27, 2011.
Page 5 of 6
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
-
-
-
I've paid for IdleAire out of pocket before in the past. I'd hook up my tv to their antenna, I'd use their internet, some times I'd even rent a movie.
My only complaint was the movie selection. They would have like 5-6 different pages of comedy, drama, action or sci-fi but like 5000 pages of adult movies.
My other complaint had nothing to do with the company itself, it was watching drivers push the IA unit out from the adapter and it would eventually bang against one of the cement sections of the support pillars. I'm sure it also caused some stress on the ventilation unit having that weight jerking around and swinging like a pendulum. No respect at all for other people's property.
The IA people, for the most part, that I used to deal with were really nice and helpful. Most notably the IA that was at the Petro in Reddick, FL and at the TA outside of Knoxville, TN.
I've been looking for an open IA location. I still have my card but since I just started driving again I don't have my window adapter any more.
-
-
-
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 5 of 6