CARDINAL, Ont. – Truck stop owner Bob Lodge didn’t hesitate when asked to participate in the second “Idle-Free Quiet Zone Campaign,” being organized by the Fleet Smart Program at Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency.

Lodge is a campaign veteran. His truck stop, the 730 Truck Stop in Cardinal, Ont., along with 17 other truck stops and dealerships across Canada, declared their vehicle parking lots as idle-free quiet zones, when the first pilot campaign was held through November and December, 2002.

This year’s campaign is scheduled to kick off in October.

“About 75 per cent of the drivers were for it and 25 per cent were against,” Lodge says, adding he’s proud to be part of the campaign.

“It’s the wave of the future. Smart owner/operators know that turning off their engines saves them money. And a lot of companies give bonuses to drivers with better mileage.”

The “Idle-Free Quiet Zone” campaign was conceived as an event to raise awareness in the trucking sector about the harmful effects of unnecessary engine idling.

Improved energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to climate change.

And although the goal of the campaign was to reduce the incredible waste of fuel from unnecessary idling, there were many co-benefits, according to program organizers.

In the “Idle-Free Quiet Zone,” drivers found a quiet, safe place to sleep without the low-frequency rumble of several big diesels pounding in their ears.

Drivers also enjoyed better-quality air from reduced exhaust in the area, organizers say.

The 2003 campaign will run 10 weeks, from October 15th to December 19th.

With simultaneous launches in Kamloops, B.C., Cardinal, Ont. and Bairdsville, N.B. on Oct. 15th, participating truck stops and dealerships across Canada will be displaying an “Idle Free Quiet Zone” banner and have on hand a variety of items with fuel efficiency messages and tips. For further information visit the FleetSmart Web site at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/fleetsmart