TRAILER FAIRINGS
Carrier Transicold and its North American dealers are now the coast-to-coast distributors and installers of Freight Wing trailer fairings, which can reduce fuel consumption significantly. The patented fairings reduce aerodynamic drag in the underside and front of a trailer, and Carrier says they’ve been proven to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 6% in SAE/TMC J13231 tests. Carrier offers two fairing types: belly and gap. Belly fairings are a relatively lightweight panel-and-bracing system that extends the trailer sides downward in front of the rear wheels to divert air flow along the exterior. They’re available for 48- and 53-ft dry van and refrigerated trailers. For dry vans, Carrier also offers gap fairings, which attach to the front of the trailer to divert airflow that would normally stream into the gap behind the tractor. Belly fairings improve fuel economy by 4%, and gap fairings add another 2%. The belly-fairing figure is actually 4.2%, to be precise, according to wind-tunnel testing sponsored last year by the National Research Council of Canada that was open to several developers of aerodynamic technology. The NRC has one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated wind-tunnel facilities, based in Ottawa. Test results showed a 5.9% reduction in wind-averaged drag coefficient at 55 mph with the belly fairing. According to the NRC, this result should produce 4.2% fuel savings at 65 mph. “At speeds greater than 50 mph, aerodynamics is the most important factor in tractor-trailer fuel economy. At 65 mph, more than 50% of a truck’s fuel is used to overcome drag,” says Ralph Bott, general manager of Carrier’s Performance Parts Group. “Drivers also report improved handling,” he adds.