Idle Smart
Idle Smart provides automated idle management hardware and software for Class 8 commercial trucking fleets in North America, automatically starting and stopping engines based on battery voltage and temperature to reduce fuel waste and prevent no-start events. It sells through direct sales plus subscriptions, targeting enterprise, growing, and emerging fleet segments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Idle Smart does
Idle Smart, Inc. is a Kansas City, Missouri-based (with a secondary office in Lenox, Massachusetts) provider of automated idle management technology for Class 8 commercial trucking fleets operating in North America. The company builds a hardware base unit and in-cab display that connects to a truck's engine control module (ECM) and uses battery-voltage and temperature sensors to automatically start and stop the engine during operator rest periods — preventing dead batteries, supporting driver cabin comfort, and reducing unnecessary idle fuel consumption. The system is positioned as a lower-cost, lower-maintenance alternative to auxiliary power units (APUs), factory auto-start systems, and electric APUs, with hardware priced at roughly $400-500 per truck and a one-hour install window that does not void OEM warranties or require cutting wires.
The product surface has evolved from the original 2007 idle reduction system into a tiered portfolio of connected fleet software: the SmartPortal cloud platform (introduced with wireless connectivity in 2017) provides real-time idle behavior reporting, remote parameter management, and fleet-wide configuration; the Smart+ add-on (2024) layers in SmartSet (weather and location-based parameter automation) and SmartSecure (theft protection and GPS tracking); and SmartInsights (2025) adds AI-style predictive maintenance analytics that rank ECM fault-code alerts across ten critical vehicle systems by risk level. Idle Smart has accumulated operational scale signals of more than 10 million successful starts with no reported starter damage, 600,000+ prevented downtime events since the 2022 platform launch, and 100 million pounds of CO2 reduced cumulatively since June 2022.
Revenue is generated through a combination of one-time hardware sales ($400-500 per truck) and recurring subscriptions priced at $60 per truck per month or $600 per truck per year, with additional subscription monetization from SmartInsights Advanced and Smart+ add-ons and custom multi-year enterprise contracts for fleets of 500+ trucks. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: the company employs an inside sales team augmented by enterprise field sales for large deployments, supports customers with dedicated Customer Success Managers, and targets three fleet-size tiers — Emerging (25-99 trucks), Growing (100-499 trucks), and Enterprise (500+ trucks, the primary segment). Named customers include Domino's, Penske, Brinks, Swift Transportation, Highway Transport, Miller Transportation Group, Eassons Transportation Group, PAM Transport, Shamrock Foods, and Transervice Logistics. The company is privately held (Delaware corporation), has raised approximately $7.15M in cumulative disclosed funding across equity/grant rounds from 2017 to 2023, and operates with 11-50 employees.
Idle Smart firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Idle Smart
- Legal name
- Idle Smart, Inc.
- Website
- https://idlesmart.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Idle Smart provides automated idle management hardware and software for Class 8 commercial trucking fleets in North America, automatically starting and stopping engines based on battery voltage and temperature to reduce fuel waste and prevent no-start events. It sells through direct sales plus subscriptions, targeting enterprise, growing, and emerging fleet segments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Idle Smart industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fleet Idle Management Software
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Telematics Hardware, Sensors & Installation Services (TLABAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Driver Behavior, Safety Scoring & Usage-Based Telematics (TLAEAFAF)
Keywords
Where Idle Smart is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Idle Smart business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: One-time hardware fee for the Idle Smart system including the base unit and in-cab display. Hardware comes with a lifetime parts warranty.
- Subscription (Monthly/Annual): Recurring subscription fee for platform access (SmartPortal), customer support, troubleshooting assistance, automatic updates, and predictive maintenance alerts. Offered on monthly ($60/truck/month) or annual ($600/truck/year) billing cycles with dedicated Customer Success Manager access.
- SmartInsights Add-on Plans: Additional subscription tiers for advanced predictive maintenance capabilities. Basic plan included with Idle Smart subscriptions covering core insights; Advanced plan unlocks all 10 insights including DEF optimization, NOx sensor monitoring, and deeper DPF protection.
- Smart+ Add-on: Premium add-on for enhanced automation features including SmartSet (real-time weather/location adjustments) and SmartSecure (theft protection and location tracking). Volume discounts available for larger fleets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Subscription - $600/truck/year ($50/truck/month equivalent) with $400 hardware fee |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Subscription - $60/truck/month with $500 hardware fee |
| Subscription | Annual | SmartInsights Basic Plan - Included with Idle Smart subscriptions |
| Subscription | Annual | SmartInsights Advanced Plan - Unlocks all 10 insights |
| Subscription | Annual | Smart+ Add-on - SmartSet and SmartSecure features |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Custom Pricing - Tailored solutions for 500+ truck fleets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Idle Smart product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Idle Smart provides an automated idle management system for Class 8 commercial trucking fleets. The core offering combines a hardware base unit and in-cab display that automatically starts and stops truck engines based on battery voltage, temperature, and configurable parameters, paired with the SmartPortal cloud platform for fleet-wide visibility. The platform is sold as a tiered subscription ($60/truck/month or $600/truck/year) plus a one-time hardware fee ($400-$500 per truck), with add-on modules SmartInsights (AI-powered predictive maintenance) and Smart+ (weather/location automation and theft protection).
Product overview
Idle Smart provides an automated idle management platform for Class 8 commercial trucking fleets. The core offering consists of the Idle Smart System (hardware base unit + in-cab display) paired with the SmartPortal software platform for fleet-wide visibility and control. The product portfolio is structured as a tiered offering across fleet sizes (Emerging, Growing, Enterprise) with add-on modules: SmartInsights (AI-powered predictive maintenance) and Smart+ (weather/location-based automation and enhanced security). The system monitors battery voltage and cabin temperature to automatically start/stop engines, reducing fuel consumption while maintaining driver comfort. Installation takes approximately one hour with no warranty impact.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SmartInsights: AI-powered predictive maintenance tool that identifies and ranks truck alerts by risk level, covering 10 critical areas including DPF Regen, ABS safety, DEF usage, NOx sensors, and engine health.
- Smart+
- SmartPortal
- Cabin Comfort™
- Battery Protect™
- Cold Start Guard™
Products and services
- Idle Smart Core System Automated idle management system for Class 8 commercial trucks that automatically controls engine start/stop based on battery voltage, temperature, and operational conditions. The system includes a hardware base unit and in-cab display that installs in about an hour and pairs with the SmartPortal software platform.
- SmartPortal Cloud-based fleet management platform providing real-time insight into idle behavior, predictive maintenance alerts, remote parameter configuration, fuel savings tracking, and reporting across the entire fleet. Accessible via web portal with unlimited user access.
- SmartInsights AI-powered predictive maintenance tool that identifies and ranks truck maintenance alerts by risk level. Provides visibility into 10 critical vehicle systems including DPF, ABS, DEF, NOx sensors, and EGR, enabling fleets to prevent breakdowns before they occur. Available as Basic Plan (included with subscription) and Advanced Plan (unlocking all 10 Insights).
- Smart+ Advanced add-on that automates idle management based on real-time weather, location, and operational conditions while providing enhanced fleet security features. Includes SmartSet (real-time weather/location-based parameter adjustments) and SmartSecure (real-time location tracking, automatic alerts for unauthorized activity, and theft protection).
Quantifiable outcome
- 212% average fleet ROI for customers over 12 months
- +11 more outcomes
Companies that use Idle Smart
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Idle Smart technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature7 records
Idle Smart partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Transervice Logistics Inc.coreIdle Smart partnered with Transervice Logistics Inc. to deploy automatic battery protection technology across Transervice's fleet of heavy-duty trucks to prevent no-starts and unplanned downtime. Transervice operates over 135 facilities across North America and manages more than 25,000 pieces of equipment.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Idle Smart competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Samsara: Connected operations platform combining telematics, video-based safety, equipment monitoring, and AI-driven fleet insights. Comparable on fleet visibility, smart integrations, and AI-powered analytics; a stated Idle Smart integration partner.
- Motive: AI-driven fleet management, driver safety, and spend management platform targeted at trucking and commercial vehicle operators. Comparable target customer (trucking fleets), AI use cases, and connected vehicle approach.
- Platform Science: In-cab platform and telematics OS for commercial vehicle fleets enabling third-party app integrations directly on vehicle tablets. Comparable as a tech/integration partner to Idle Smart and targets the same enterprise fleet operations.
- Lytx: Video telematics and driver safety platform for commercial fleets using dashcam + AI for risky-behavior detection. Comparable on fleet safety scoring and AI-driven driver behavior signals and overlapping trucking customer base.
- Geotab: Market-leading fleet telematics platform with vehicle tracking, engine data, and driver behavior analytics. Comparable to Idle Smart's SmartPortal engine-data and idle monitoring capabilities, and already a stated Idle Smart technology integration partner.
Broad incumbents
- Verizon Connect: Large-scale telematics and fleet management suite from a major telecom incumbent serving fleets of all sizes. Overlaps with Idle Smart's core use cases (GPS, engine data, driver behavior) bundled into a broader fleet product.
- Omnitracs: Long-established trucking-specific fleet management and transportation management platform. Competes for enterprise trucking fleet technology spend but with much broader TMS workflow scope.
- Webfleet (Bridgestone): Established fleet telematics and connected vehicle platform owned by Bridgestone, serving commercial fleets in North America and Europe. Comparable telematics/vehicle-data functionality at a larger portfolio scale.
- Trimble Transportation: Established fleet management, telematics, and transportation management suite (formerly PeopleNet/TMW). Broader functionality than Idle Smart but directly competes for enterprise trucking fleet automation budgets.
Others
- Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Manufacturers: Thermo King and other APU makers represent the legacy alternative Idle Smart explicitly displaces for cab comfort/idle reduction. They are adjacent ecosystem players whose products compete for the same fleet budget allocation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Idle Smart social profiles
Digital presenceIdle Smart financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Idle Smart leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Idle Smart funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Idle Smart M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Idle Smart
What does Idle Smart do?
Idle Smart provides an automated idle management system for Class 8 commercial trucking fleets. The core offering combines a hardware base unit and in-cab display that automatically starts and stops truck engines based on battery voltage, temperature, and configurable parameters, paired with the SmartPortal cloud platform for fleet-wide visibility. The platform is sold as a tiered subscription ($60/truck/month or $600/truck/year) plus a one-time hardware fee ($400-$500 per truck), with add-on modules SmartInsights (AI-powered predictive maintenance) and Smart+ (weather/location automation and theft protection).
Is Idle Smart a public or private company?
Idle Smart is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Idle Smart founded?
Idle Smart was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Idle Smart based?
Idle Smart is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Idle Smart make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription (Monthly/Annual), smartInsights Add-on Plans and smart+ Add-on.
Who are Idle Smart's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Samsara, Motive, Platform Science, Lytx and Geotab. Broad incumbents are Verizon Connect, Omnitracs, Webfleet (Bridgestone) and Trimble Transportation. Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Manufacturers is listed as an others.
Does Idle Smart have an API?
No public API is recorded for Idle Smart.
What industry is Idle Smart in?
Idle Smart's product category is Fleet Idle Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAJAL, Telematics Hardware, Sensors & Installation Services, with a secondary code of TLAEAFAF, Driver Behavior, Safety Scoring & Usage-Based Telematics. Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3823.