FlowBelow Announces Deals with Daimler, Navistar
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ATLANTA — FlowBelow Aero Inc., a manufacturer of aerodynamic products for tractors and trailers, said it has secured deals with truck makers Daimler Trucks North America and Navistar Inc.
The Austin, Texas-based supplier said it signed an agreement with Navistar to supply two different aerodynamic configurations for the MPG packages of the International LT Series, announcing the news on Oct. 27 at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in the Georgia capital.
Gordon Virginski, FlowBelow vice president of OEM and dealer programs, said two different types of fairings between the tires will be available to tractor buyers. One will be the standard aerodynamic design, and the other will be an enhanced aerodynamic design with larger fairings for greater fuel savings, Virginski said.
Both fairings can be ordered as stand-alone options on the International LT and RH series, starting in March 2020, he said. The drive-wheel fairings were designed by FlowBelow to work optimally for the International LT trucks, Virginski said.
In another OEM-related announcement, FlowBelow said it will be offering a new locking option on Freightliner Cascadia’s wheel covers, beginning in the second quarter of 2020. Freightliner is a brand of DTNA.
Freightliner currently offers FlowBelow’s quick-release wheel covers as a standard offering on Cascadia Aero and Cascadia AeroX packages, according to Virginski.
Virginski said DTNA requested a locking feature to secure the wheel covers. Virginski said, based on data he has, that it is rare for the tire covers to be stolen. Still, the potential for theft was raised by DTNA, and Virginski said the FlowBelow team came up with an affordable design. The covers will be locked with a small key.
Virginski said FlowBelow’s aerodynamic wheel covers and fairings reduce diesel consumption by about 2.23%. The company also makes aerodynamic tire covers and fairings for trailers.
FlowBelow announced on Oct. 7 that Mesilla Valley Transportation will begin equipping all its trailers with AeroSlider attachments that fit between the rear wheels. Mesilla Valley Transportation of Las Cruces, N.M., ranks No. 79 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.
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