SEATTLE, Wash. — Freight Wing has come out with a new AeroFlex Composite trailer side skirt that it says has been proven to improve fuel economy by 7.45% using SAE/TMC test methodology.

The new skirts are EPA SmartWay-verified. Constructed of a pliable composite material, the skirts are braced with flexible mounting rods and provide a clean, smooth appearance while maintaining a flat panel shape, the company announced.

“It’s a great new addition to our line of aerodynamic trailer fairings,” said Sean Graham, president of Freight Wing. “It joins our family of side skirts, which includes the AeroFlex DMP (formerly called the AeroFlex 2012), which is constructed of heavy duty Dense Matrix Polyethylene (DMP). Our new composite model is of the same geometry as the DMP and gets the same fuel economy benefits as our original model – they’re just constructed differently. Customers can expect an ROI in as little as 50,000 miles of trailer utilization.” 

The AeroFlex DMP, Graham said, can take the most abuse because of its plastic construction.

“But, with new innovations in composite material, we’re able to bring to market the AeroFlex Composite – a great looking, robust skirt that still is able to bend from impacts such as bottoming out at loading docks,” he said.  “The new offering gives fleets and owner/operators two great skirts to choose from, depending upon their applications and driving patterns – each with the ability to improve fuel economy for our customers by 4-6% in real-world applications.”

The new model weighs about 170 lbs and can handle typical impact situations, Freight Wing claims.