FlowBelow Announces Swift Transportation Deploying Thousands of AeroKit Units on Tractors
Truckload carrier Swift Transportation Co. will begin deploying thousands of FlowBelow Aero Inc.'s Tractor AeroKit systems in its fleet immediately, according to FlowBelow.
The initial large-scale deployment of the Tractor AeroKit through 2017 is expected to account for about 40% of Swift’s company trucks, according to FlowBelow.
Details of the transaction were not available.
Swift ranks No. 6 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
The carrier operates 18,000 trucks and logs more than a billion miles per year, Austin, Texas-based FlowBelow said, adding Swift began evaluating the technology in 2014 and deployed an initial 100 systems for nine months.
“Many aerodynamic products for trailers exist today, and we certainly utilize those that work well for us," Bert Kinsel, Swift vice president of heavy equipment procurement, said in a statement. "But because we operate over three trailers for every one truck in the fleet, meaning that our trailers are utilized approximately one-third as much as the tractors, the return on an investment for a trailer-mounted technology can take a lot longer than a comparable technology installed on one of our trucks."
FlowBelow’s system only needs to be installed on the tractor, Kinsel said. “The best thing about it is that it makes an impact on every mile we drive.”
The Tractor AeroKit reduces aerodynamic turbulence and drag around the rotating wheels of the truck, the company said. The system includes four quick-release wheel covers as well as four fairings placed between and behind the drive wheels of the truck.
The system is effective at reducing drag for trucks traveling faster than 40 mph, the company said. Lower drag means less horsepower is required to move the vehicle, which results in improved fuel efficiency. Citing multiple third-party tests, FlowBelow said its Tractor AeroKit is verified to provide up to a 2.23% fuel savings.
“It is truly amazing when you consider how much fuel is consumed by trucks today,” FlowBelow CEO Josh Butler said in a statement. “A countless number of engineers and entrepreneurs are working tirelessly to bring new ideas into practice in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from heavy vehicles."
