IdleAir, a provider of provider of Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) services at major truckstops as well as at fleet terminal locations, reported on the company’s recent progress at a news conference during last week’s Mid-America Trucking Show.
For starters, it advised that it broke ground in March on its installation at the Flying J in Laredo, TX, “to address the overwhelming demand for IdleAir services” in that market. Per IdleAir, that location will complement its “very popular” nearby Pilot location with a nearly doubling of capacity.
According to IdleAir, additional truckstop installations on its Spring 2014 construction schedule include: Pearl, MS Flying J; Latta, SC Flying J; and three Pilot Flying J locations in Ohio, including Seville, Austintown, and Beaverdam.
While noting it has “more travel center deployments planned for 2014,” the company said its “greatest level of excitement is reserved for the acceleration of our fleet terminal strategy. Since last Spring, the firm has launched new truckstop installations at the Flying J in Dallas, TX, the Lancaster Road Exxon in Dallas, TX, and at Cash's in Port Allen, LA.
In addition, IdleAir reported that it completed the construction of four dedicated fleet terminals this past year, including one in Mesquite, TX (TSI/Panamex) and three in Laredo, TX (CR England, Werner, and Con-way). “Preliminary results at the new terminals are very encouraging with the IdleAir solution already delivering substantial fuel savings and driver satisfaction,” the company noted. It added that “in the near future, we will be announcing several more [fleet] terminal partnerships, including locations in markets outside of Texas.”
IdleAir also announced the integration of its popular Convoy Points loyalty program with Pilot Flying J's MyRewards program. IdleAir's 40,000+ active customers (including professional drivers from more than 600 fleets) have accrued over 15,000,000 Convoy Points, and these will shortly be fully convertible into drivers' existing MyRewards member accounts.
The company also noted that it recently introduced its “Reset Special” to help drivers meet the requirements of the federal Hours-of-Service rule.
“Our Reset Special allows drivers to enjoy our Premium Service offering for up to 40 hours for a flat rate of $50 (plus tax),” IdleAir explained. “This is a powerful savings tool for drivers, with IdleAir pricing as low as $1.25/hour (plus tax). The Reset Special helps drivers save even more money while meeting their reset requirements. This offering complements our ConvoyTV+Power offering, which was introduced in 2013 and which has already proven to be very popular among drivers that don't have a need for heating or air conditioning.”
IdleAir added that it has developed an app for drivers with Android-equipped smartphones to help them find the company’s installations, quickly check account balances, and redeem Convoy Points. “The IdleAir app adds to our existing smartphone capabilities that already enable customers to set thermostat levels and change TV channels inside their cabs,” the firm noted.
A free download of the IdleAir app is available via the Google Play Store and an iPhone version will soon be available as well.
