ATDynamics has come out with a new AutoDeploy system for its popular trailer tails, which deploys the tails when the truck reaches 35 mph and closes them at slower speeds.
The announcement was made at the American Trucking Associations convention. "For over-the-road trucking fleets, who now have almost universally adopted aerodynamic trucks and skirted trailers, the single most important fuel efficiency upgrade is the integration of ATDynamics TrailerTail equipment to eliminate drag at the rear flat surface of the trailer," said Andrew Smith, CEO of ATDynamics. "This aerodynamic drag is costing trucking companies $2-3 billion annually in unnecessary fuel expense…The new TrailerTail AutoDeploy systems launched today eliminate driver interaction with TrailerTail devices altogether and ensure maximum fuel efficiency for the industry."
The system utilizes a radar, mounted underneath the trailer to measure vehicle speed. A swing arm dampening device is used to open the tails slowly and safely, Smith added.
Also new is an AutoAware system, which indicates using a driver notification light on the front left corner of the trailer when the tails are deployed and the vehicle is in reverse. This is designed to reduce damage from backing into a dock with the tails extended.
"Any concerns about driver interaction with TrailerTails or potential damage from rear-end collisions are eliminated with the AutoAware system," said Court Hinricher, new product development manager with ATDynamics.
Smith said there are now more than 20,000 trailer tails on the highways and that more than 50 fleets have committed to equipping their entire trailer fleets with the fuel-saving devices. The tails have accrued more than a billion miles on the road. But the full-length, four-foot tails are still not approved for use in Canada. Smiths said he's sure that will eventually change and he'll be meeting with Canadian lawmakers in November to push the cause.
"I'm 100% optimistic that Canada will allow full-length trailer tails in the future," he said, adding there's a $500 million per year cost to the Canadian trucking industry in unnecessary fuel consumption resulting from the ban on trailer tails.
