Mesilla Valley Transportation has completed the retrofit of its entire fleet of 4,000 tractor-trailers with fuel saving TrailerTail aerodynamic technology, manufactured by ATDynamics.
TrailerTail is a lightweight, thermoplastic composite fairing installed at the back of a tractor-trailer to streamline airflow behind the trailer, reducing aerodynamic drag and reducing fuel consumption.
MVT has operated the TrailerTails in its fleet for more than one year. It says the fleet-wide deployment of TrailerTails now saves more than 1 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.
The fuel savings realized will result in a payback period of less than 14 months on the capital investment. ATDynamics projects that TrailerTail technology will save the trucking industry over $20 billion in fuel expenditures during the next decade.
TrailerTail is a lightweight, thermoplastic composite fairing installed at the back of a tractor-trailer to streamline airflow behind the trailer, reducing aerodynamic drag and reducing fuel consumption by 6.6% (at 65 mph).
"We were an early adopter of this technology when nearly two years ago, many of our industry peers raised an eyebrow at our decision to retrofit our entire fleet with TrailerTails," says Royal Jones, CEO of MVT. "Today virtually every sizable fleet on the road is evaluating or beginning to adopt ATDynamics' technology."
TrailerTails are compliant with the U.S. Department of Transportation's length restrictions for tractor-trailers, which allow up to a 5-foot, non-cargo-bearing extension for aerodynamic fairings. In addition to fuel savings, TrailerTails improve trailer stability in high winds, improve visibility for drivers through reduced trailer spray in wet conditions, and reduce injuries and vehicle damages from rear end collisions with tractor-trailers, according to ATDynamics.
"ATDynamics is committed to redefining the shape of the modern semi-trailer. In a few years, a company using box-shaped, un-aerodynamic trailers without TrailerTails will be as strange as a company choosing to use typewriters instead of email," says Andrew Smith, CEO and founder of ATDynamics.
A TrailerTail requires less than 45 minutes to install, says ATDynamics, and in one year it can offset the annual average fuel consumption of a typical passenger vehicle.
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