Austin, TX – October 28, 2018 – FlowBelow Aero has announced at the American Trucking Associations Annual Meeting that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has verified its new Trailer AeroSlider™ Stage 2 system for the EPA SmartWay program.

According to the company, the Trailer AeroSlider represents a new category in trailer aerodynamics. Instead of attaching to the body of the trailer, the system is mounted directly to the sliding trailer suspension and travels with the suspension. The AeroSlider consists of multiple components including ‘quick-release’ wheel covers, fairings positioned between and behind the trailer wheels, and aerodynamic mud flaps behind them. From an aerodynamics standpoint, FlowBelow says, the fairings control the complex airflow around the trailer wheels and the wake behind the trailer.  The system is designed to complement other trailer-mounted aerodynamic devices such as trailer skirts and tails and offers additive fuel savings depending on the combination of devices implemented.

The Trailer AeroSlider Stage 2 system was developed using computational fluid dynamics and rolling-floor wind tunnel testing. And, according to the company, the system was recently validated to provide up to a 2.07% fuel savings based on third party fuel economy testing conducted by MVT Solutions. The most recent test, which was done in accordance with EPA SmartWay test protocols, demonstrated a 1.93% fuel savings, which exceeds the minimum requirement for EPA SmartWay verification. According to FlowBelow, these tests confirmed an additional 0.70% fuel savings improvement over FlowBelow’s Stage 1 AeroSlider System.

“Based on our production costs and the positive fuel savings we’ve seen from extensive testing, we believe that the Trailer AeroSlider has the potential for achieving widespread adoption within 3-4 years.”  said Josh Butler, CEO of FlowBelow Aero.  “This approach seems to be the most practical way to address the aerodynamics of the trailer tandem without sacrificing durability or accessibility.”