Q. What, in a nutshell, is IdleAire?
A. IdleAire is a Knoxville, TN company that provides a patented system deployable wherever long haul trucks park for extended periods. The system enables truck drivers to switch off their diesel engines and still enjoy heat, AC, and many of the amenities of the home and office while resting better.

Q. Besides heat and AC, what services does the IdleAire system provide?
A. Three different kinds of Internet connections (including high-speed), television connection, telephone jack, and 110-volt outlets inside and outside to power appliances and engine heaters. We are also introducing premium television packages, movies-on-demand and an industry-approved, computer-based, interactive training curriculum for professional drivers.

Q. Are the climate control and the communications and entertainment packages what appeal to drivers?
A. These services are certainly appreciated by drivers, but they also relish being able to switch off the diesel engine's noise, vibration and fumes to get a good night's sleep. Rested drivers are safer drivers. And adjacent neighborhoods appreciate the cleaner, quieter environment as well.

Q. Why don't drivers just rent a motel room?
A. Motel rooms are expensive and most drivers don't want to leave their trucks or loads unattended. IdleAire provides a comfortable, secure place and it's cheaper than idling.

Q. Based on your operational experience, what is the consensus of drivers regarding the satisfaction and value of the service, and is there a difference between the reactions of owner operator and the company driver?
A. We've never had a driver try the system who didn't want to continue using it, even if he/she had to pay for it. While all the drivers who have tried it have liked it, there are differences in value perception. Owner operators embrace the system because they are responsible for the cost of fuel, maintenance and engine overhauls or new truck purchases. Company drivers, on the other hand, while wanting their employer to be successful, aren't quite as concerned because they don't pay for these expenses-their company does. They simply enjoy the much-improved in-cab environment, as do the owner operators.

Q. What entices parking lot owners, such as those at travel centers, to let you install this system on their property?
A. Parking lots traditionally don't produce revenue. Parking lot owners share in the revenue from the IdleAire system, creating a new revenue center in a low margin business without any investment on their part. In addition, these areas become better neighbors to adjacent residents by significantly reducing air pollution and noise.

Q. What reaction do truck owners have to the IdleAire system?
A. At zero miles per gallon, extended idling wastes fuel, shortens preventive maintenance cycles and shortens the life of a truck engine. The IdleAire system adds to the truck's financial bottom line, whether a company fleet or an individual owns the truck. Truck owners appreciate the financial benefits of the IdleAire system.

Q. What does IdleAire consider its target market?
A. Anywhere long-haul trucks congregate and their engines idle for extended periods of time. That includes travel and service plazas, distribution centers, seaports and other locations. Our initial deployment target is the travel centers (truckstops) and Interstate service plazas, which we estimate account for approximately 272,000 parking spaces. We estimate there are 1.3 million long-haul trucks with sleeper cabs using these spaces on a daily basis.

Q. Just out of curiosity, how can 1.3 million trucks fit into 272,000 parking spaces?
A. They don't park all at once. Drivers are legally required to rest 10 hours for every 11 on the road, so they rotate in and out of the parking spaces at different times. However, there is a parking shortage in many areas, which is why you often see these trucks parked along Interstate exit and entry ramps, in vacant lots and other locations, particularly at night. The IdleAire system could offer parking lot owners a new incentive to expand their parking areas.

Q. You mention reductions in air pollution from the IdleAire system. How significant are these reductions?
A. We estimate that trucks using a typical 100-space travel plaza, with an average 66% occupancy, generate 6,271 tons of emissions at that location each year from idling. IdleAire eliminates all of the emissions produced by idling because drivers can turn off their truck engines while they rest..

Q. What substances are in these emissions?
A. Components of those emissions include carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates (PM), carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehyde, benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Q. Do these emissions carry any environmental or health risks?
A. Definitely. Formaldehyde and benzene are toxics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are carcinogenic. The particulates carry adsorbed organic compounds (volatile organic compounds, PAH) deep into the lungs. Nitrogen oxides are a pre-cursor for ozone, which forms when those oxides are subjected to heat and sunlight. The EPA has found that ozone causes respiratory illnesses, including childhood asthma, adult asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, in more than 11% of the population. Carbon monoxide is a particular threat to the elderly and those with cardiovascular disease, while carbon dioxide, though not currently regulated, is an important greenhouse gas. Long-term exposure to diesel exhaust is known to increase the risk of lung and bladder cancer.