A compact version of ATDynamics' TrailerTail rear-end aero enhancer will be available this fall for use where legal length limits or physical restraints prevent the use of the full-size model.


When extended, TrailerTail Nano is about 2 feet long, or half the length of the regular product, said Bob Ozden, ATDynamics' chief operating officer. Folded against the rear doors, the Nano's panels will occupy a few extra inches.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has exempted TrailerTails from length restrictions and all states honor that, he said. But the exemption does not apply to Canada, and the Nano is meant for use in such jurisdictions. It will also be useful for trailers that run both on the highway and serve as delivery vehicles in congested cities.

The Nano weighs a bit over 100 pounds and should save about 4 percent in fuel at highway speeds, though it hasn't yet been tested. The full-size product saves 6.6 percent in fuel at 65 mph.

The Nano will cost a little over half of the full-size TrailerTail's $2,800 retail price. All prices are discounted for fleet sales, he said.

The latest fleet to adopt the TrailerTail is Werner Enterprises, which has committed to installing the device on 130 trailers. Werner will also buy ATDynamics side skirts for those trailers, Ozden said.

TrailerTails cut air turbulence and low-pressure suction at the rear of box-type trailers, thereby reducing energy needed to pull the vehicle, the company has previously said. Aerodynamic drag at the rear of trailers account for about 5 percent of American fleets' fuel costs. If widely adopted, the product would save more than $2 billion worth of $3-a-gallon fuel annually.