US Xpress to Make SmartTruck Feature Standard on 2017 Trailer Builds

SmartTruck announced truckload carrier U.S. Xpress will include its fuel-saving TopKit Aero System on all its trailer builds in 2017.

The specific number of trailers was not disclosed.

The aerodynamic feature weighs 63 pounds, according to Greenville, S.C.-based SmartTruck, and its components redirect high-energy airflow from roof and from around the back corners into a low-energy wake.

“The addition of the TopKit to our trailers enables us to gain incremental fuel-efficiency benefits over our existing side skirts,” Gerry Mead, senior vice president for maintenance at U.S. Xpress, said in a statement. “SmartTruck's third-party performance validation, durability features and their limited lifetime warranty give us great confidence that we have the ideal solution for our compliance needs.”

U.S. Xpress Enterprises ranks No. 19 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest North American for-hire carriers.

The company has about 7,000 tractors and 15,500 trailers, according to the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based company.