March 07, 2007 -- EL PASO, TEXAS - Petro Stopping Centers (Petro) has announced receipt of funding to install shore power electrical hookups for ten tractor/trailer parking spaces at its Mebane, NC facility. The truckstop is located on I-40/85 at exit 157, just west of Raleigh, N.C. Installation of the power pods will begin in May and the service will become available by early summer.

This service is designed for use by sleeper trucks equipped with on-board alternating current heating and air conditioning systems (AC-HVAC) that require 120V AC/2 x 20A pod power. Additional funding has been proposed that would provide North Carolina truck owners with financial incentives to purchase trucks equipped with the on-board AC-HVAC systems that require the electrical hook-ups. This new service at Mebane will complement the existing 58 truck parking spaces operated by IdleAire, that offer electrical hook-ups and HVAC services to trucks that are not equipped with on-board systems.

Current federal requirements mandate 10 hours daily off-duty time per long haul truck driver during which truckers, traditionally, idle their sleeper cab truck engines to maintain heating, or air conditioning in their cabs. In addition to the daily requirement, truckers are required to be off-duty 34 continuous hours once per week which further increases truck idling across the nation. American truck idling reduces air quality and consumes more than a billion gallons of diesel fuel annually. Truckstop electrification projects provide cleaner air, conserve fuel, and reduce noise levels at truck parking facilities.

Additional information on truck idling can be found at www.SmartPark.org or at www.epa.gov/smartway/idling.htm.

David P. McClure
dmcclure@petrotruckstops.com
915-774-7357