Truckers: What is this?
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B and C
Well-known member
I've seen those before and always thought they were some kind of dump chute for who knows what. I want to know too!
Air deflector for the tandems. The idea is to save a few tenths of a percentage point of your fuel expense. Remember the tandems can slide, so if they are 'sucked up', they will be much closer to the deflector.
Usually there will be other aerodynamic skirting or fairings somewhere on the trailer, such as a trailer tail.
Usually there will be other aerodynamic skirting or fairings somewhere on the trailer, such as a trailer tail.
B and C
Well-known member
I always thought the side skirting was for the tandem, Guess they are trying everything. I've even seen folding panels on the back making an open misshapen box.
That is often called a scoop. It is as TX2Sturgis says an attempt to save a little fuel. It came in about 10 years ago along with the silly folding affair that is deployed around the backdoors of the trailer. My personal major dislike was the skirts. I couldn't easily see under the trailer to check that all was well. They are mandatory in CA - the skirts. Jury is still out as to whether they do any good whatsoever.
Kind of like the EGR nonsense. The original scientist who talked CA into forcing everyone to have them is now saying that he was wrong it does no good. Any excuse to fine drivers and cause them to spend a fortune on upgrades is a good excuse.
Kind of like the EGR nonsense. The original scientist who talked CA into forcing everyone to have them is now saying that he was wrong it does no good. Any excuse to fine drivers and cause them to spend a fortune on upgrades is a good excuse.
Some of those underbelly deflectors really ARE a scoop, they gather the incoming air and pass it thru a tunnel ABOVE the tandem axles, then dump the air at or near the ICC bumper, sometimes in an upward blast to fill in the 'vacuum' behind the trailer doors.
Guess what that does to the tailgating 4-wheeler in a rainstorm. They usually dont stay in the soaking wet 'slip-stream' for very long.
The full length trailer skirts were supposed to help MPG also, as are the trailer tails, and various other bits and pieces of plastic or fiberglass that cost a lot of money, do mostly nothing, and eventually fall off, get busted or broken, or accumulate ice coatings in a blizzard and then toss shards of ice at the nearest soccer-mom's car who is following too closely cuz she cant see anything.
Mostly, it is the fault of CARB out there on the left coast. But of course they have almost unlimited power...so they dont care.
Ooops...better jump off the soap-box before I get in trouble....
Guess what that does to the tailgating 4-wheeler in a rainstorm. They usually dont stay in the soaking wet 'slip-stream' for very long.
The full length trailer skirts were supposed to help MPG also, as are the trailer tails, and various other bits and pieces of plastic or fiberglass that cost a lot of money, do mostly nothing, and eventually fall off, get busted or broken, or accumulate ice coatings in a blizzard and then toss shards of ice at the nearest soccer-mom's car who is following too closely cuz she cant see anything.
Mostly, it is the fault of CARB out there on the left coast. But of course they have almost unlimited power...so they dont care.
Ooops...better jump off the soap-box before I get in trouble....
