FlowBelow Revises Trailer Aero System for Faster Retrofit

FlowBelow has redesigned its Trailer AeroSlider aerodynamic system, combining wheel covers, flow-through mud flaps and rear fairings in a lighter package for dry-van and refrigerated trailers. The company introduced the update at the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte.

The key design point is operational: the system mounts to the sliding suspension and moves with the tandems when a trailer's axle position changes. That avoids making a fuel-saving add-on a separate adjustment for the driver or shop.

What the company says it can save

FlowBelow estimates the complete setup can save 3 gallons of diesel per 1,000 miles, based on separate test results for the fairing-and-mud-flap portion and the wheel covers. In MVT Solutions testing cited by the company, the fairings and flow-through mud flaps cut consumption by 1.77 gallons per 1,000 miles on trailers already equipped with skirts and wheel covers.

The full estimate is not a universal result. It depends on the trailer's existing equipment, mileage, fuel price, route and operating conditions. For fleets that already use wheel covers, the incremental fairing result is the more useful starting point.

A smaller installation job

FlowBelow said the complete system weighs less than 30 pounds and can be retrofitted in under 45 minutes. It is intended for most dry vans and reefers and requires no driver action after installation. The company also said the system can be specified on new trailers through participating manufacturers.

The fleet decision

Aerodynamics are a maintenance and procurement decision as much as a fuel one. Before a broad rollout, fleet teams should test fitment with their trailer mix, confirm how the equipment holds up in their repair cycle and calculate savings from their own miles and diesel price rather than a vendor-wide estimate.