May/June 2008
Road Tests:
2008 Ford F150 4X2 Supercrew Lariat Harley Davidson Edition & 2008 GMC Yukon 4WD
Feature:
Mid-America Trucking Show 2008
Feature:
Obenauf Auction Service
Industry News:
Peterbilt Illinois - Bloomington Holds Open House
Industry News:
Leading Fuel Distributors form PetroLiance LLC
Association News:
ATSA Hands Out Scholarships
ATDynamics’ TrailerTail® showcased at Mid-America Trucking Show
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| (L-R) Chief Executive Officer Andrew Smith and Operations and Marketing Associate Steven Rodger of Advanced Transit Dynamics, Inc., based in South San Francisco, Calif., stand beside the EPA SmartWay Certified Utility Trailer outfitted with ATDynamics’ Trailer Tail. |
“The industry is in transition,” says ATDynamics CEO Andrew Smith. “Diesel prices are at record highs and concern over global warming will lead to even stricter emissions standards. At this critical time, we are providing long-haul fleets a trucker-tough technology that can reduce fuel consumption and pay for itself in less than a year.”
The new ATDynamics TrailerTail® was showcased at the Mid-America Trucking Show, March 27-29, in Louisville, Kentucky. The TrailerTail® was on display at the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay® booth, where it was attached to the rear of the industry’s first EPA Certified SmartWay® trailer, a 4000D-X Dry Van built by Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company.
“The aerodynamic TrailerTail® will provide our customers with significant added fuel savings,” states Craig Bennett, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at Utility Trailer. “Our 4000D-X has redefined the lightweight standard in the dry van category, enhancing fuel efficiency. We’re excited about making this best-in-class trailer even better.”
Third-party SAE J1321 testing conducted by Robert Transportation at Energotest 2007 in Montreal, Canada showed that the TrailerTail® boosts fuel efficiency by 5.1% at 62 mph. At 68 mph the TrailerTail® yields potential efficiency gains of greater than 6%. Based on average long-haul trailer mileage, the TrailerTail® can deliver more than a billion dollars in fuel savings annually to the North American trucking industry.
The TrailerTail® is constructed of lightweight, rugged panels designed to endure daily wear and driver abuse, yet ensure smooth opening and closing. A patented TrailerTail® hinge system allows truckers to operate doors and access loading bays normally. The TrailerTail® collapses from four feet to three inches in length in less than 8 seconds.
“The least aerodynamic way to carry goods down the highway is in a large rectangular box,” explains Smith. “Forward-thinking fleet operators are now serious about improving the aerodynamics of their fleets. Starting with the TrailerTail® and with other products now in the pipeline, our goal is to dramatically improve the sustainability of the global freight industry.”
ATDynamics is an affiliate of the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay® Transport Partnership, a voluntary program which accelerates the trucking industry’s efforts to conserve fuel and reduce emissions.