In 2013, trailer rental/leasing company Xtra Lease plans to have the largest fleet of skirted trailers in the U.S. While new dry vans and reefers in the fleet will receive aerodynamic side skirts, the company is also retrofitting hundreds of 2010 model-year trailers in California, making them compliant with SmartWay and the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) Greenhouse Gas requirements. Including recent purchases, Xtra Lease is believed to have the largest fleet of skirted trailers in the U.S. at more than 20,000 trailers.

Since 2010, Xtra Lease has invested heavily in new trailer orders, adding nearly 30,000 new trailers in the past 3.5 years. For 2013, the company has ordered more than 2,000 new trailers, including a mix of dry vans, reefers, flatbeds, chassis, and liftgate-equipped van trailers.

Fuel-saving aerodynamic side skirts have become standard features on new Xtra Lease trailers. Side skirts save an estimated 5% in fuel costs, the company notes, based on EPA verification and depending on number of miles and speed traveled.

Xtra lease also is outfitting its trailers with low rolling resistance tires, which it notes can save an additional 1.5% in fuel based on a carrier’s operation. Combined, the two features can save fleets 6.5% in fuel costs, the company adds.

Xtra Lease will also continue to install trailer tracking as a standard feature on dry vans and reefers. For companies that rent, Xtra Lease notes, trailer tracking not only helps improve utilization, it also helps find dormant trailers and return under-utilized equipment quickly to save on rental costs.