TruckWings Aero Device Shows 6% Fuel-Economy Improvement
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NEW ORLEANS — The TruckWings tractor-mounted aerodynamic device, which closes the gap between the cab and trailer, showed a 6.2% improvement in diesel truck fuel efficiency and a 5.2% improvement for compressed natural gas trucks, according to third-party tester Mesilla Valley Transportation Solutions.
Industry supplier ConMet, which acquired TruckWings manufacturer TruckLabs in November, released the independent test results at a March 3 press conference at the 2024 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition.
In addition to boosting fuel economy, the TruckWings system is designed to make the tractor-trailer more stable in crosswinds. The device requires no interaction with the driver and automatically deploys the wings at 50 mph and retracts at lower speeds.
“This solves an age-old problem in trucking, which is trailer gaps,” said TruckWings General Manager and Vice President Daniel Burrows. “You need a gap at low speeds to turn, but at high speeds, you don’t, which causes a lot of inefficiencies in your fuel burn.”
By conserving fuel, the TruckWings system also helps reduce carbon emissions. The company has estimated that diesel tractors equipped with TruckWings save more than 1,100 gallons of fuel and 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
MVTS tested the technology with two identically spec’d vehicles running at 65 mph on a 9-mile track near Pecos, Texas. One truck remained unchanged during the testing, while the other had the TruckWings devices installed and deployed so the vehicles could be tested and compared head to head.
MVTS is a subsidiary of Mesilla Valley Transportation, which ranks No. 72 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.
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In addition to diesel and CNG trucks, the TruckWings device can be installed on trucks with battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems, Burrows added.
“Fuel is often the No. 1 cost for fleets, and anything that can save them money will improve their bottom line,” Burrows said. “This will happen with any transition to electric, and range is the challenge with them. A 3-6% fuel savings translates into a reduction in weight and less utility power that has to be delivered to your electric trucks. It saves carbon, cutting emissions equal to two passenger cars, and it’s a win-win.”
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Burrows said ConMet’s acquisition of TruckWings has expanded the manufacturing capabilities for the product and will help introduce it to a wider customer base.
While they are not being installed at the factory by truck manufacturers, the devices can be added in two to three hours at a factory-authorized modification center.
On average, the purchase and installation costs $5,000 per unit, including warranty.
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