As far as aerodynamic add-on devices go, owner-operators may be positioned most advantageously — so says SmartTruck Systems’ Mitch Greenberg, who points to the fact that owner-operators many times run dedicated loads and/or routes, measure their fuel mileage more consistently and run the same equipment day in and day out.
Any differences that stem from aerodynamic add-on devices will more effectively and directly present themselves, Greenberg says, due to the aforementioned variables being so controlled, which is often not the case for large fleets looking to implement aero devices.
Moreover, the industry as a whole is moving past skepticism of aero add-ons, Greenberg says, leaving owner-operators and fleets — instead of doubting — trying to find ones that work best for their operations.
SmartTruck is at its core a research company, founded in 2009 to study aerodynamic drag on tractor-trailers and how that drag can most effectively be eliminated. The company first unveiled its UnderTray systems in 2011 — devices the company says produce a more than 6 percent fuel savings, a number that has been reported by both customers and in the company’s own testing.
SmartTruck held a gathering of trucking industry press at its Greenville, S.C., headquarters this week to see its facility and check out the proving grounds where it gathers the information needed to develop and refine its products.
It also flexed its data-collecting muscle, showing off the vast amount of data it records and uses to test its products and detailing the years of rigorous research that went into designing, building and certifying its UnderTray systems.
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