Q: Why should I sign up for a new club, when I get really cool stuff for free at FreeTrip.com?
A: Many "FreeTrippers", our loyal site visitors, have asked for additional features as they've enjoyed using FreeTrip.com. Many have been great suggestions, and we have enhanced the website to include them, and we are in the process of adding more. Some require that we purchase information that we then integrate into our proprietary highway trip planner. As a result, our current service level is becoming difficult to provide for free, if we are to maintain the high quality of information that you have come to expect. So we decided to create a membership club, and move most of FreeTrip's unique features to this new website, while maintaining freetrip.com. Now, we ask you to help defray these costs with a small, annual fee.
Q: OK, so ITC now has all the cool features that used to be on Freetrip.com. What features does ITC also have that Freetrip.com NEVER had?
A: In addition to the fuel expense calculator, you'll have the ability to take what we call "Roads Less Travelled", where you can see the REAL America, or take a Route 66 Tour and see special sites described, or road advisories tailored to the RV owner, or ferry schedule contact information. ITC itineraries also include exit numbers; not on just interstates but parkways, turnpikes and other limited access roads. Also, ITC has some optional personalization features, such as having a personal greeting appear on the trip request form, and a default city and state.
And we've just added the Personal Trip Tracker, which is a new feature that can get you current road information while you are driving on the trip. Use the Trip Tracker Number that now appears on all ITC itineraries, call a friend, family member or business associate when you need road information (i.e. you want information on road conditions hundreds of miles ahead). They can go to the InsideTrackClub website, enter just your Trip Tracker Number and your approximate location that you also provide them. Then your COMPLETE itinerary gets displayed on their computer screen with your current location indicated. Since they now see your route, see where you are currently located, they are in a position to retrieve the information you need. There is also a paid service that we offer in case you need information and you are unable to reach your personal contact.
Q: Is ITC going to offer maps?
We will soon be including the ability to display unique "You Are Here" local address maps of the destination. These maps, similar to a shopping mall map, will display where the itinerary ends, and will mark the location of your final destination street address. Importantly, we will not be including local directions to that address. Our research tells us that local directions are often erroneous not only because of incorrect street information, but because of time-sensitive issues, such as one-way streets during rush hour, rendering that "Turn Left On Main St" illegal at 8:30 am. We concluded that it would be more helpful to provide a "You Are Here" map that could be zoomed in/out -whatever is needed- then studied and printed and taken on the trip. This way the driver is more informed as to the "best" way to get to Aunt Sarah's house.
Q: What are other plans for the future?
A: We plan to continually enhance the club with new useful road travel information and special services to you. For example, we are looking into storing your itineraries for future recall. We will look for special deals to save you money and provide you with access to useful services and types of places to visit along your trip, such as discount malls, theme parks and county fairs. We plan to have regular communications with our members and plan a regular newsletter to those who wish to be on the mailing list. We plan to put up a bulletin board system, so our members can share their "road stories". And, we always will welcome your suggestions for what you'd like to see.
Q: I have other questions you haven't answered. How can I find out more?
A: Email us at: clubinfo@insidetrackclub.com