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| Idle Air Another Government Boondoggle |
| Springing up all over the country You see Idle Air.
These installations are designed by someone who not only never drove a truck, but has no idea how to make parking lots safer. In fact these installations which are being built with GRANTS from the EPA under the idle abatement program make parking lots much more dangerous to walk or drive in. How is it that the truck stop management didn't see this when the projects started? Is it possible that the boards of directors of the truck stop chains also do not understand the very industry they serve? |
| Pictures in this article were taken yesterday at an open idle air installation.
as usual almost no truck drivers are using the equiptment. Why? Part of the problem is the unsafe demands of the installations design for pull in parking which is counter to the industrys practices of backing in. Part of the problem is that the cost (approximatly 2$ an hour) is just barely competitive with the cost of idling and the actions of the designers and the employee operators of the facilities is driving the customer away. |
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| This truck which is show safely parked in the correct manner for safely leaving was ordered to turn around and park pulled in.
As any truck driver knows, when you set up to back in ( the normal action for all loading delivering and customary for all non drive through parking) you begin with clear vision in all directions, and can maintain an image of all dangers while accomplishing the back. As any truck driver knows, when you back out of a parking space you cannot always see where the back of your trailer is going, and if there is a vehicle beside you you will have no sight of or knowledge of what is approaching the space you are about to back through. What person decided that the installation should make one of the most dangerous places for damage to your truck we have to endure should be made so much more dangerous? Is this to save a few dollars on the installation costs? These installation have been built with Government GRANTS! They are now using the already built network to convince private investors to buy bonds.. |
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