Laydon Composites says it’s certified two additional trailer fairings to comply with EPA/California Air Resources Board requirements under the state’s rule AB32. Aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, it requires new, 2011-model-year 53-ft van trailers to be fitted with aero devices that reduce fuel consumption by a minimum 4% for refrigerated vans and 5% for dry vans. It went into effect January 1.

These TrailerSkirts include Laydon’s new Hybrid and the seven-panel Classic version, making a total of five aero devices now CARB-certified. Of these, three are for dry vans and the other two for reefers, including four trailer skirts and one tractor-trailer gap fairing. The fairings are available on new trailer orders.

Laydon now has a stand-alone solution for all types of vans and reefers subject to AB32, and for the phase-in of new regulations for existing trailers in future. Older van trailers that are going to run in California post-2013 will also have to comply with AB32, meaning retrofits will be required.

The side skirts are made from automotive/tractor-grade plastic for long life in all temperature ranges, says Laydon. The material offers a low coefficient of expansion and contraction so it doesn’t matter whether trailers operate in Alaska or California, the company says. The material has “a good UV package for color retention,” and good resistance to curbing or railroad-track damage. The full-flex struts allow up to 90-degree bending of the panels over obstructions and “a full, totally undamaged return to the original shape and position after deflection even in cold-weather situations.”