CalArk International has announced it is installing IdleAire equipment at its terminal in Laredo, Texas, making it the first truckload carrier to offer IdleAire at a terminal site. CalArk — which says the system will be fully operational today, July 14 — plans to mark the completion of installation with a grand opening celebration on Monday, July 24.
The Laredo terminal is the first of CalArk’s three full-service terminals to be outfitted with IdleAire; CalArk plans to install the system at its terminal in Little Rock, Ark., in October. Rochelle Gorman, president of CalArk, says the IdleAire installation is creating excitement among CalArk drivers. “Drivers are already using IdleAire where available, in truck stops,” Gorman says. “Now, they can enjoy the same comfort and convenience at our Laredo terminal.”
The obvious motivation for CalArk’s decision to install IdleAire was concern for its 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 says. The system gives off no fumes and acts as an air filter that kills airborne viruses, bacteria and spores, according to IdleAire.
“If each space is used only 10 hours each day, which is the minimum rest time required by law after 11 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,” Gorman says. “But in reality, all these spaces are available for use 24 hours a day, so we expect the benefits to be much greater.”
