Deflecktor Adds Lock to Wheel Covers
AUSTIN, Texas — Aerodynamic wheel cover manufacturer Deflecktor has added a locking mechanism to its Hardspot product line, addressing a concern expressed by original equipment manufacturers, company founder and President John Fleck said here.
“We are overcoming a barrier to purchase from OEMs — they want a lockable feature,” Fleck said during an Oct. 28 press conference at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition. “They don’t want to invest in something they perceive may be stolen.”
The locks, which are slated to be available in the first quarter of 2019, will add about $20 to the cost of a cover; prices for the covers start at $65, he said. The locking mechanism is a “keyed-alike” system, he said, meaning that the company will produce single key design that will work on all covers.
Fleck said motor carriers NFI and Schneider are installing Hardspot covers on their new tractors. The cover also has been seen on the Tesla Semi electric truck.
Deflecktor introduced the covers last fall. Hardspot covers weigh about 2 pounds each, Fleck said. They are manufactured in the United States and all but a single component are sourced domestically.
