Trucking fleet Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) has completed the retrofit of its entire fleet of 4,000 tractor-trailers with fuel-saving TrailerTail aerodynamic technology manufactured by ATDynamics.
MVT has operated the TrailerTails in its fleet for more than one year and the fleet wide deployment of TrailerTails now saves, in excess of, one 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.
Trucking accounts for approximately 15 percent of fuel usage in the United States and over 70 percent of all U.S. goods are transported by truck, including everything from food and clothing to electronics and major appliances. Moreover, fuel costs account for approximately 30 to 40 percent of a trucking company's operating expenses. ATDynamics projects that TrailerTail technology will save the trucking industry over $20 billion in fuel expenditures over 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 per cent (at 65 mph), according to ATDynamics.
MVT transports products for dozens of well-known brands including Sony, Toshiba, Dell, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Budweiser, Lowes and Home Depot.
"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, but today virtually every sizable fleet on the road is evaluating or beginning to adopt ATDynamics' technology," said Royal Jones, CEO of Mesilla Valley Transportation. "ATDynamics' TrailerTails have been an integral part of our strategy to operate 25 percent more efficiently than the industry average in order to benefit our bottom line, our drivers' compensation, the national economy and consumers' wallets."
Independent, third party agencies have tested and verified TrailerTail performance, including the Goodyear Proving Grounds in Texas, FPInnovations Energotest in Canada and the Automotive Research Center (ARC) in Indiana. ATDynamics has won numerous clean technology awards, such as California's highest environmental honor, the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) presented by California's Governor, Edmund G. Brown in 2011.
TrailerTails are compliant with the U.S. Department of Transportation's length restrictions for tractor-trailers, which allow up to a five-foot, non-cargo bearing extension for aerodynamic fairings.