Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) is equipping all new trailers with the FlowBelow Trailer AeroSlider system, the company recently announced.
The AeroSlider aerodynamic system is designed to address the complex aerodynamic drag created by the trailer wheels and suspension. The system is designed to complement and provide additional fuel savings when used with other trailer-mounted aerodynamic devices such as trailer side skirts, according to the manufacturer.
According to Royal Jones, chief executive officer of Mesilla Valley Transportation, “MVT was an early adopter of FlowBelow’s first product, the Tractor AeroKit, when it was introduced in 2014. Since then the company has begun working with every major truck OEM to offer the product from the factory on new trucks. The AeroSlider is something I expect will follow a similar trend, and it’s the next logical step forward to improving trailer aerodynamics. In a few years, you’ll see these installed on hundreds of thousands of trailers all across North America.”
The Trailer AeroSlider is mounted directly to the sliding trailer suspension and travels with the suspension. The AeroSlider consists of multiple components including ‘quick-release’ wheel covers, fairings positioned between and behind the trailer wheels, and aerodynamic mud flaps behind them.
The AeroSlider has been tested using computational fluid dynamics, SAE J1321 type II fuel economy testing, and rolling-floor wind tunnel testing. The system has also been verified by third-party fuel economy testing conducted by MVT Solutions. The fuel savings of the AeroSlider Stage 1 and Stage 2 system ranges from 1.37% to 2.07%, respectively, according to the company. MVT will begin implementing the Stage 1 AeroSlider on all new trailers effective immediately, and plans to implement the Stage 2 system beginning in 2020.
