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Katie Breitschopf says wheel covers should be
considered, too.
“FlowBelow’s Trailer Wheel Covers have been
track-tested to save 0.81% on fuel, and (were)
road-tested by several mega-fleets to show an
even higher return,” she remarked. “The covers
pay for themselves in Year 1 or early in Year 2,
and they deliver returns for the remaining life of
the asset. That makes the ROI incredibly attractive.”
Breitschopf recommends wheel covers to every fleet,
along with side skirts, where applicable.
“We don’t sell them, but we recommend trailer skirts; their
bang for the buck is huge,” she said.
Carriers looking for additional fuel savings can find it in
another FlowBelow product.
“Our AeroSlider, which is a kit that includes wheel covers
and fairings that smooth the turbulent air flow across the
wheels of the trailer, as well as flow-through mudflaps, has
been SmartWay certified to save 2.07% in fuel,” explained
Breitschopf.
FlowBelow wheel covers and fairings are offered as standard
equipment on some tractor models. Breitschopf hopes
trailer OEMs will follow suit.
Another product, this one manufactured by Eco Flaps, is
a specially designed flow-through mud flap that claims to
improve fuel economy by more than 1%. Rather than simple
slots in the mud flap to allow air to pass through, the Eco
Flaps product features molded, wing-shaped channels that
reduce air resistance and, as a bonus, greatly reduce the
amount of road spray in wet conditions.
Improving aerodynamics isn’t the only way to maximize
trailer fuel economy. Some carriers are looking at lift axles as
an alternative to the usual tandem axles.
“Some of the main benefits of lifting an axle can include
improved payload, operational flexibility, improved maneuverability,
increased fuel efficiency, extended tire and component
life, and reduced road tolls,” explained Hendrickson
Director of Global Marketing and Communications Mark
Slingluff.
Lift axles have traditionally been popular for vocational applications
such as dump or heavy-haul. Increasingly, buyers
are looking at them for fuel-saving applications.
“Hendrickson offers various lift kits on the Hendrickson
suspension model and trailer design,” said Slingluff.
Multiple options for operation of the lift axle are available,
including those that integrate with the vehicle’s main suspension
and those that operate independently. A “smart” option
is offered that raises and lowers the axle automatically based
on air spring pressure.
Lift axles aren’t the only way suspension options can save
fuel, however. Hendrickson also manufactures tandem axle
slider suspension systems for trailers, including dry van and
refrigerated units. Their ULTRAA-K UTKNT 40K offering is
touted as “the lightest slider system in the industry by nearly
100 pounds,” according to the company’s website.
It pays to learn about suspension options offered by OEMs,
including the weight savings of individual components.
Sorting through the mountain of fuel-saving claims of
manufacturers can be a daunting task. Fortunately, real testing
information for many products isn’t hard to find, thanks to
Mesilla Valley Transportation Solutions (MVTS). The MVTS lab
is an independent third-party testing organization formed with
the partnership of Mesilla Valley Transportation and InnoMetric
MPG, a testing provider for the racing industry.
MVTS offers private testing for individual carriers and manufacturers,
but also offers a list of certified products that includes
testing results for each. Interested parties can find independent
test data for many of the products they might consider adding
to trailer orders. Test summaries as well as full testing reports
are available.
Test results are offered in terms of gallons of fuel saved for
every thousand miles driven. Fuel savings are also expressed
in terms of percentage, but this is considered a less accurate
way to report results.
MVTS-certified products include tires, lubricating oils, solar
panels, and other products, in addition to aero products. One
product, a grill guard for protecting the front of the truck, was
tested for potential increase in fuel consumption, which proved
to be minimal.
Purchasing trailers can be as simple as choosing a trusted
brand at the best price, but purchasers who carefully consider
fuel saving options may find the ROI to be well worth the time
it took to research the options.
TCA NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 13