When it comes to aerodynamic side fairings, "the key to maximizing fuel efficiency is to make sure they stay on the truck," says Jim Reiman, CEO of Aerofficient LLC, which says its new Fixed Side Fairings are more durable than other trailer skirts on the market.

Aerofficient has been working with fleets, including U.S. Xpress, for several years to design a trailer side fairing that not only saves fuel, but also meets their real-world needs.

Aerofficient's fairings are high-quality, durable panels produced from an engineered injection molded automotive-grade thermoplastic polyolefin material known in the automotive and transportation industries for its high performance properties. This helps address one of the major causes of fairing damage -- thermal expansion and contraction caused by extremes of heat and cold, Reiman explained in a press briefing at this week's American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition.

The other major cause of damage to trailer side fairings is hitting obstructions. Aerofficient developed a unique, patent-pending, hinged three-panel construction, consisting of a top, middle and bottom panel. The bottom panel of the fairing has a 180-degree swing and can bend 90 degrees inward and outward. This kind of flexibility permits real-world use in drop-down docks and allows the fairing to clear obstructions without damage. Check out this video of the fairings clearing a 24-inch-high obstruction:

A patent-pending clamp system allows the fairings to be installed on a fully loaded sealed trailer in one hour per side with two service professionals using common tools.

Another key to the durability of the fairings is quality manufacturing, Reiman explained. Aerofficient has partnered with Quality Metalcraft, which has been a supplier to the automotive industry for more than 40 years. "Anybody can design a product," Reiman said. "Getting it built, getting it built consistently to the quality you need, having a company behind you that can honor those warranties -- those are big deals."

In a rare endorsement, U.S. Xpress co-CEO Max Fuller talked candidly to the press about working with Aerofficient to develop the fairings. U.S. Xpress had tried trailer fairings before, as far back as 1988, but abandoned them because pieces would break off and end up lying on the side of the highway -- or on the highway itself, a potential liability issue.

"How do you build a product that's not going to break, that's going to last a minimum of 10 years, and stil get that kind of fuel economy we're all looking for?" Fuller said. "Truthfully, I didn't think they would get there." But after five or six major iterations, he said, they did. U.S. Xpress has put in an initial order of 5,000. "We have 20,000 or so trailers in our family of companies, and over the next five or six years, I wouldn't doubt every one of them will have this product on it," Fuller said. So far, they're seeing about 7% fuel savings with the fairings.

The Aerofficient fairing has been designated by the EPA's SmartWay program as an Advanced Trailer Skirt, estimated to generate at least 5% in fuel savings.

Aerofficient and U.S. Xpress also have worked closely with The SimCenter: National Center for Computational Engineering at the University of Tennessee in U.S. Xpress' hometown of Chattanooga. Full-scale computer simulations of air flow past a Class 8 truck have the advantage over wind-tunnel testing of being able to test performance under cross-wind situations, Reimer said.

Soon to be announced are Aerofficient Slider Fairings, which expand and contract when the bogies are moved, as well as a Front Gap Fairing and Rear Fairing. Aerofficient also will offer financing options such as leasing to its customers.

For more information, visit www.aerofficient.com.