VEHICLES
Improve effi ciency with trailer
AERODYNAMICS
Reducing aerodynamic drag on the
trailer can translate to improved fuel
economy and operational effi ciency.
By Stefanie Von Rueden, Assistant Editor
AERODYNAMIC DEVICES & SYSTEMS
20 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2018
s U.S. EPA emission standards become more stringent
and fl eets are pressured to become increasingly
more fuel effi cient, trailer aerodynamic
devices can off er a solution to improve overall
vehicle effi ciency.
“Aerodynamics matter,” says Steve Ingham,
CEO of trailer aerodynamic supplier SmartTruck.
“Th e aerodynamics of the tractor-trailer system
has a direct eff ect on the overall performance and
operational effi ciency of the system.”
As a truck and trailer drives down the highway,
it encounters resistance, or drag, from the
air fl owing at and around it. Oncoming air fl ow
on the front of the tractor creates a high pressure
area. Th is creates three main areas of drag on
the trailer: the front of the trailer at the top, by
the trailer gap; the undercarriage of the trailer;
and the back of the trailer by the doors. Th ese
areas of drag create resistance that pulls the vehicle
backwards as it is trying to move forwards,
increasing strain on the engine and drivetrain,
says Drake Piper, category director for ITMS at
STEMCO. STEMCO is the supplier of a diverse line
of high performance systems and components to
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