Stemco has announced it has developed a new fuel efficiency testing technology for TrailerTail aerodynamic equipment. The real world DataLogger test is designed to provided fleets with an inexpensive and fast  method of testing the fuel efficiency of TrailerTail technology using a fleet’s own truck, trailer and driver.
The palm-sized DataLogger (developed in partnership with IOSiX LLC) plugs directly into the tractor’s J1939 diagnostic port and accesses engine data. A Stemco field technician conducts a controlled test with the fleet’s truck, trailer and driver. Stemco engineers then analyze the data to precisely break down how much fuel the TrailerTail system will save that specific fleet.
The technology’s testing protocol and filtering algorithm were developed specifically to provide a customized data stream that isolates the aerodynamic variables while minimizing the disruptive effect that inconsistent wind, temperature and traffic can have when comparing different test runs to measure fuel economy improvements.
“TrailerTail technology has proven in numerous standardized aerodynamic tests that it reduces fuel consumption by over five percent at highway speeds,” said Bob Montgomery, vice president of the Innovative Tire & Mileage Solutions group at Stemco. “But many fleets really want to know that it will work for them in their specific operation, not just on a test track or in someone else’s fleet. The DataLogger provides a means to prove fuel savings in a matter of hours.”
More than a dozen fleets have tested TrailerTail using the DataLogger with results consistently approximating 4.5 percent, equating to an average mile per gallon improvement of 0.44. These results are also consistent with fuel savings reported from fleet-wide TrailerTail deployments.
“Historically, trying to find the return on an investment such as this has required an enormous financial expense, as well as an intense study of fuel purchases and mileage data over a long period of time,” said Trevor Kurtz of Brian Kurtz Trucking. “In just four hours on a rainy, cold day in December we were able to obtain real fuel savings numbers using the DataLogger test. With over 70 TrailerTails now installed, we are consistently achieving the test results or better.”
