Heavy Duty Trucking, June 2018

FUEL SAVING STRATEGIES HDT JUNE 2018 42 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COMaerodynamics package that includes FlowBelow wheel covers and 29 foot side skirts on trailers rather than the more common 23 foot ones Front and side aerodynamic flaps also extend down close to the ground all in an effort to push air straight back past the tractor trailer instead of underneath it Zero offset wheels make sure the tires arent protruding into the windstream with Anderson aerodynamic mud flaps and Stemco TrailerTails completing the package Alberts own fifth wheel gap is set at an incredibly tight 16 inches which taught him a key trick for evaluating tractor trailer aerodynamics A benefit of that tight trailer gap is that the back of my cab gets very little dirt on it A low pressure area on a truck or trailer will attract wind dust and spray as air rushes in to fill the vacuum As a result of this bit of knowledge Albert keeps a sharp eye out for dirt and dead bugs on truck and trailer surfaces when hes doing walk around inspections When he does find a dirty buggy section he starts looking at the surrounding area and considering options for ways to move air around it He will even mount a video camera in particularly tricky areas to study how the spray patterns flow 2 Getting the most from automated transmissions Another proven way to boost your fleets fuel economy is to move away from manual truck features a relocated and recessed license plate and the rain gutter on his trailer is plated over to smooth out airflow over it You have to think of aerodynamics as a comprehensive system Albert stresses One of my pet peeves is to see a brand new super slick aerodynamic truck with everything going for it potentially then itll have a long wheelbase to pull a reefer and a huge fifth wheel gap between the truck and trailer And that ruins everything Because youve got a massive vacuum there creating massive drag that the engine has to strain to overcome Alberts system approach to aerodynamics is one that appeals to James Lamarca founder and executive vice president of System Freight Inc a New Jersey based fleet specializing in dedicated freight transport SFI outfits both trucks and trailers with application specific aerodynamics including aerodynamic skirts on regional haul trailers to reduce wind drag under the rear tandems of the trailer All tractors have full air fairings and side extenders except the inner city delivery fleet trucks which do not have side extenders since they tend to get damaged easily We also utilize AeroFlap mud flaps on tractors as standard equipment on all new orders he adds And we look to make sure that any OEM new equipment is built with a close out flange between hood and bumper to prevent air flow under the hood which creates drag on the tractor As tight as Alberts trailer gap is Nussbaum Transportation has him beat The Illinois based truckload fleet uses gaps set at a mere 12 inches Its part of a highly aggressive the air more efficiently But because airflow is invisible aerodynamics can be frustrating for many fleet managers Aero is huge says Mike Roeth executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency which publishes information for fleets and last fall ran a three week Run on Less real world fuel economy challenge See page 48 Just by putting a cap on the roof of your truck that matches the height of the trailers youre pulling is worth a 15 boost in fuel economy alone But you have to remember that these aerodynamic systems can complement or counteract one another And that can be frustrating I see lots of people just adding stuff on and not looking at how they interact together says Henry Albert CEO of Albert Transport Run on Less participant and well known Class 8 fuel economy advocate A lot of devices you see arent mounted on the trucks correctly And what you end up with is a bunch of panels on a truck all working against each other Albert runs a full suite of aerodynamic devices on his 2018 Freightliner Cascadia including FlowBelows undercarriage system wheel covers Fleet Engineers AeroSaver Classic side skirts that cover the landing gear Stemco TrailerTail a nose cone Fleet Engineers AeroFlap mudflaps and crossmember shields But Albert has also been known to create his own solutions once taking a power saw to a set of mud flaps he felt were sticking too far into the slipstream around the truck His current Illinois based Nussbaum Transportation is serious about aerodynamics including 29 foot side skirts on trailers rather than the more common 23 foot ones PHOTO NUSSBAUM TRANSPORTATION