ATDynamics introduced its next generation TrailerTail Model 2011 at the American Trucking Association's Management Conference & Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona, the premier trade gathering for the freight transportation industry.
The TrailerTail 2011 is the latest offering by ATDynamics, a company that has pioneered the use of aerodynamic fairings at rear of trailers to address rear drag as part of an industry wide emphasis on greater fuel efficiency.
The new model “employs state-of–the-art aerodynamic design, ultra-light thermoplastic composite materials and a collapsible origami architecture that achieves the highest fuel efficiency of any rear drag reduction device ever commercially offered in the industry,” according to Andrew F. Smith, CEO of ATDynamics.
Since September 2010, the TrailerTail Model 2011 has logged 750,000 highway miles, saving thousands of gallons of diesel with no reported performance, handling or driver issues.
Early in September, ATDynamics announced “the largest sale of rear-drag trailer aerodynamics technology in the history of the U.S. freight transportation industry when Mesilla Valley Transportation, a top 100 US trucking fleet based in Las Cruces, NM, began installations of TrailerTail 2011 technology on its entire fleet of 3,500 trailers.”
This investment will reduce diesel fuel burned by Mesilla Valley over 1 million gallons annually and will cut CO2 emissions by over 11,000 tons annually - equivalent to taking over 2,000 cars off American roads, Smith said.
"Competitive trucking fleets are putting tails on trailers because they save fuel and meet the rugged durability requirements of the industry," he commented. "Mesilla Valley Transportation is saving a growing amount of fuel every day as it retrofits 3,500 trailers with a return on investment approaching 100% annually.
Other fleets are taking notice. More than 14 U.S. fleets and two major European trailer manufacturers are testing the TrailerTail for fleet-wide deployment or integration into the design and production of next-generation trailers.
“Rear air drag reduction is increasingly recognized as the largest cost saving opportunity for fleets to increase fuel efficiency,” said Smith. “When combined with side skirts and other aerodynamic modifications, trailer aerodynamics equipment can deliver over 12% fuel economy improvement to trucking fleets."
