CalArk Leads Trucking Companies in Driver Convenience
Laredo, Texas — CalArk International Inc. is installing IdleAire equipment in its Laredo, Texas terminal, making CalArk the first truckload carrier to offer IdleAire at a terminal site. The Laredo terminal is the first of CalArk’s three full-service terminals to be outfitted with IdleAire, and CalArk expects the IdleAire system to be fully operational with twenty-eight spaces by July 14, 2006. CalArk plans to install IdleAire equipment in their Little Rock terminal in October.
Rochelle Gorman, president of CalArk, said the IdleAire installation is creating excitement among CalArk drivers. “Drivers are already using IdleAire where available, in truck stops. Now, they can enjoy the same comfort and convenience at our Laredo terminal.”
Drivers primarily idle their trucks to maintain a comfortable temperature inside their cab during their rest periods. It’s costly, in terms of fuel, for engines to idle. But it is also difficult for drivers to rest in noisy, vibrating cabs, which could compromise their alertness the next time they get behind the wheel. IdleAire solves this problem as a quiet, cost effective means for drivers to control the temperature inside their cab after completely shutting down their engines. IdleAire also provides unlimited Internet access, 66 satellite TV channels, Movies on Demand and a telephone connection.
The obvious motivation for CalArk’s decision to install IdleAire was concern for their drivers’ safety and convenience, but that’s not the only benefit IdleAire provides. “With low emissions and low noise, it’s good for the environment, too,” Gorman explains. IdleAire gives off no fumes and acts as an air filter that kills airborne viruses, bacteria and spores, according to the IdleAire website, www.idleaire.com.
Gorman also noted that, “If each space is used only ten hours each day, which is the minimum rest time required by law, after eleven hours on the road, then there are 1,083 metric tons of diesel emissions each year reduced, and we save over 100,000 gallons of fuel, annually. But,” she continued, “in reality, all these spaces are available for use, twenty-four hours a day, so we expect the benefits to be much greater.”
CalArk plans to mark the completion of the IdleAire installation process at the Laredo terminal with a Grand Opening Celebration scheduled for July 24, 2006.
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About CalArk International Inc.
CalArk International Inc. is an irregular route, general commodities contract full truckload carrier serving customers in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Learn more about CalArk International Inc. at www.calark.com.
