march2021 - 40

SPOTLIGHT ON TECH TRENDS

»The FlowBelow Tractor AeroKit is one aerodynamic device Volvo offers customers for reducing drag.
Photo courtesy of Volvo

A streamlined fleet
Maintenance for aerodynamic devices
can be tricky, but when done right, fleets
can see an increase in fuel savings.
By Emily Markham

leets are constantly looking for ways to reduce fuel
consumption while also improving operational
efficiency. The industry has responded to that
demand by creating aerodynamic technologies
and vehicle designs.
" The fuel consumption of a commercial vehicle
can contribute to [the total cost of operations], " says
Patrick Kealy, North American OE trailer business
leader for Commercial Vehicle Control Systems
(CVCS). " Aerodynamic products reduce air drag
which can lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, so any improvements through reduction of
aerodynamic drag is favorable to fleets and drivers. "
CVCS (formerly WABCO) is a division of ZF that
specializes in vehicle technology manufacturing
and brakes.

40 Fleet Maintenance | March 2021

Though aerodynamic technologies offer fleets
advantages, it should be noted this is not true on
all trucks, says Dave Walters, manager of warranty
and field service for Alcoa Wheel Products.
" If you're a city truck or a regional truck, you really
don't see the benefits of these [aerodynamic] devices, " Walters explains. " But if you're the over-the-road
type of truck, there is definitely an advantage. "

Streamlining with
aerodynamic products
When it comes to adding aerodynamic products
to a vehicle, fleets have a variety of choices to mix
and match to find what works best for them.

" A variety of areas on the tractor can be
improved, including how the air hits the tractor,
travels down the side of the tractor, and then
transfers to the trailer, " says Allison Athey, product marketing manager for Volvo Trucks North
America. " This translates on a Volvo tractor into
bumpers with air deflectors underneath, chassis
fairings with ground effects, cab side fairings with
extenders, roof fairings with a trim tab, and the
FlowBelow Tractor Aerokit. "
On other trucks, an aerodynamic set-up may
look quite different. According to Walters, who
acted as chairman for the Technology and
Maintenance Council's (TMC) Recommended
Practice (RP) 261, Considerations for Aerodynamic
Wheel Covers, he worked with many fleets on this
committee, and they found skirting and wheel
covers to be beneficial.
However, what works best for one fleet may not
be best for another.
" As you start adding different components on,
it's not intuitive as to what will actually reduce
drag, " says Doug Mason, global technical manager
for Alcoa Wheel Products.
He uses the example of a fleet that adds a trailer
skirt and sees 5 percent savings. The fleet then adds
another component that should provide an additional 2 percent savings, but instead of seeing a total
7 percent in savings, they only realize 4 percent.

march2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2021