Outdoor FunThings To See & Do

IdleAire In-Cab Services Available At Truck Stops

idleaire-service-module.jpgJim just called from a Travel America. Yep, he’s riding around in an RV… again!

One interesting thing he learned on this trip is the fact that Travel America truck stops (I think they’re technically called Travel Centers of America) have IdleAire in-cab services.

Briefly, it works something like this…

For a small fee, you can pull up to a special designated area, turn off your vehicle, hook up to the Idle-Aire service module, and take advantage of their services — rather than running your own services off your own generator.

To utilize this service, you need to buy a separate $10 insert that connects your vehicle to their system. But it’s a one-time fee. And it’s fully upgradeable if you ever get a new vehicle.

Jim says that in each of the different places he’s seen the IdleAire in-cab services, they’ve always had more spots available than the number of people who are actually using it. But they do have a reservation system. So, if you wish, you can call ahead and they’ll reserve a spot for your vehicle.

 

A Close-up Of The IdleAire In-Cab Service Module:

close-up-of-idleaire-in-cab-services.jpg
This type of system is good for the variety of needs & wishes that truck drivers and RVers have. For example, some don’t have any need for the Internet, while others don’t care about the on-Demand movies & sports available (for free on Monday nights, I think). However, most appreciate the fact that things like electricity, AC, TV, etc. can be utilized without having to run your own generator and at a price that is less than the cost to run your own generator.

Once you hook up to the system and turn on their computer to activate your usage, you are charged an hourly rate. There are ways to get hourly discounts & special add-ons… if you purchase a gold card, for example, for another $10 for 6 months of usage.

And, once you hook up, you can stay there as long as you like. It’s a great way to count on an overnight parking spot!

The way it works is you simply slide your credit card into their card reader to update your available hours of usage.

TIP: Just remember to shut it off whenever you leave your vehicle. Like if you go into the restaurant to eat or something. Otherwise, you’re racking up the hourly fees while you’re not using it. You can easily start it back up when you’re ready to resume in-cab services.

As a comparison, at Flying J truck stops, it costs $4.95 (per day) for high-speed Internet, and you still need to run your own generator to use the AC, TV, and other things inside your vehicle.

With the IdleAire, you only pay for what you use ($1.99/hr base rate, or $1.81/hr with the gold card), and it also comes with things like electric, TV, and more.

The best part: IdleAire keeps you from having to run your own generator. And we’ve learned that it costs at least $3.00/hr to run most generators. Whereas IdleAire only costs $1.99/hr.

Another plus… IdleAire’s “quiet zone” is a place where trucks & RVs can park and utilize the IdleAire services without running their own engines. This cuts down on emissions & fumes form all the other vehicles you typically find parked at truck stops.