Carrier offers fair solution to fuel efficiency

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Carrier Transicold has developed an aerodynamic solution for trailer drag, offering the Freight Wing trailer fairings in an effort to reduce fuel consumption.

The patented fairings reduce aerodynamic drag in two key areas of the trailer: the underside and front. Having a complete fairing system on a tractor-trailer has been proven to reduce fuel consumption by 6% in SAE/TMC J13231 tests, according to Carrier.

With Carrier Transicolds vast dealer network, we are well poised to help the entire trucking industry address its fuel efficiency challenge, said Ralph Bott, general manager of Carrier Transicolds Performance Parts Group. Fairings are an innovation that can significantly impact the bottom line for fleets and owner/operators.

Carrier offers two types of fairings: belly and gap.

Belly fairings are a relatively lightweight panel-and-bracing system that extends the trailer sides downward in front of the rear wheels to divert airflow along the exterior. They are available for 48- and 53-foot dry van and refrigerated trailers.

For dry van trailers, Carrier also offers gap fairings, which attach to the front of the trailer to divert airflow that would normally stream into the gap behind the tractor.

The benefits of trailer fairings have been demonstrated by the US Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay Transport Partnership, the US Department of Energy and Transport Canada. Belly fairings improve fuel economy by 4%, and gap fairings add another 2%.

Improved aerodynamics saves fuel as well as power, thereby decreasing demand on the engine and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, added Bott. This results in significant cost savings and a longer engine life, and it reduces the environmental impact. Drivers also report improved handling.

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