Is Your Truck Fleet Equipped with Fuel-Saving Aerodynamics?
10 Aug 2017
A more aerodynamic truck burns less fuel, saving your business a ton of money over the course of a year. New Zealand based Driving Test suggests that nearly 20 percent of fuel consumption for trucks is the result of them attempting to overcome air resistance, which is mainly due to the brick-like shape and high coefficient of drag.
Making a few changes can greatly improve the aerodynamics of trucks in your fleet resulting in huge savings for your entire organization each year. Incorporate these changes and watch your fuel savings add up fast!
Consider SOLUS Drag Reduction Devices
The Department of Energy’s Inventions and Innovation Program helped to develop SOLUS drag reduction devices that reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency on large tracks by up to 10 percent at 60 miles per hour. This one change can net your organization savings of 1,000 gallons of fuel per truck per year easily. The more trucks you have in your fleet, the bigger your savings may be.
Install Cab Roof Fairings
Most trailers are taller than the cab of the trucks pulling them. This creates a rather large flat area of resistance to the wind, which means your truck has to work harder to maintain the same speed. Installing a fairing deflects that air up and over the body of the trailer, effectively easing the resistance.
Reduce Your Gap
Reducing the gap between your tractor and your trailer can help to save a great deal of fuel each year. One study found that you could conserve 50 gallons of fuel each year by simply reducing the area of the gap from 36 to 24 inches.
Wear a Skirt
At least put a skirt on your truck. RTS Courier Services reports that side skirts on trailers works to reduce air flowing underneath the trailers which nets you between four and seven percent in fuel savings each year. Depending on the size of your fleet, these savings can be significant.
The more of these steps you take to improve the aerodynamics of your fleet trucks, the greater your savings will be. However, you can increase your fuel savings even further by implementing a GPS fleet tracking system that will help you plan more efficient routes, hold your drivers accountable to safe and fuel-efficient driving habits, and helping you to avoid unnecessary downtime due to heavy traffic, accidents, and other road hazards. It is one more step that can deliver impressive results when it comes to cutting fuel costs for your entire organization.
To learn more about how GPS fleet tracking can help your company in the fuel savings department, give us a call here at LiveViewGPS at 1-888-544-0494.
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