November/December 2018 | VehicleServicePros.com 23
off er a good return on investment. Ideally, fl eets
should be able to see a return on their aerodynamic
investments within two years or less, says
FlowBelow’s Butler.
He suggests looking for the following qualities
when selecting aerodynamic devices:
Durability/life expectancy—How does the
equipment perform in extreme conditions
and over time?
Compatibility—Is the product
compatible with other aero
products already employed?
Functionality—Will the
equipment funct ion
reliably?
Support—Does the company
off er customer support? Can
they support the product in
the fi eld?
Driver interaction—Does
the equipment function all
the time, or does the driver
need to deploy?
Maintenance—How much
money and time does it
cost to maintain the product,
and can it be easily
maintained in-house? Are
replacement parts readily
available?
Aesthetics—How does the
product impact the company
brand identity or the
look of the fl eet?
“Look for real return on
investment testing by third
party test verifi cation,” adds
STEMCO’s Piper. “Th e company
should be able to stand
behind their product with
a strong warranty, in-fi eld
support and proven product
life cycle.”
Consider how the device
was developed and tested,
what the components are
made of and what the company’s
research and development
process looks like. If they
claim to improve fuel effi ciency
by a certain percent, what
kind of testing did they use
to determine that effi ciency?
Is it backed by customer tests
to validate the performance?
Generally, the more thorough
the company’s testing process
is, the more certain the fl eet
can be that the product will
work as expected.
Also consider the amount
of maintenance the device
will require, the added weight
of the device and whether
those compare to the benefi
ts to get an idea of what the
total cost of ownership will
be. “Aerodynamic solutions
should cut fuel costs without
increasing maintenance costs
or requiring driver attention or costly repairs,”
Michelin’s Bradley says.
SmartTruck’s Ingham adds that fl eets need to
consider what aerodynamic solutions they have
already employed, and whether a new device would
add to that benefi t. “Th ere is a practical limit,”
Ingham says. “You can’t improve the same aerodynamic
problem twice. So, fl eets need to be smart
about how they can be as effi cient as possible.”
Installation options
Fleets have three options when it comes to
installing aerodynamic devices: they can spec
them as part of a new trailer order, retrofi t in
their own shop or have the aero device provider
professionally install.
“Normally, aerodynamic device installation
is done by trailer OEMs, branches or dealers,”
Great Dane’s Lee says. “Th ird party installation
VehicleServicePros.com/10122738
/VehicleServicePros.com
/ta-petro.com
/10122738