AN accessory for semi-trailers that can save up to seven percent
fuel and significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions was launched at Serco’s
Customer Breakfast in April.
Serco have partnered with U.S.-based Freight Wing to supply
aerokits to South Africa.
Known as the Aeroflex system, it is described as the complete
solution to trailer aerodynamics, combining skirts, gap and tail fairing.
The chief operations officer of Freightwing in the U.S., Coty
Hollifield, was at the breakfast held in Durban to deliver a presentation on the
product, which helps reduce wind drag under a trailer and particularly suitable
for vehicles travelling long distances.
Hollifield said the side skirts, which cost R17 000 excluding VAT
for a semi-trailer, have proven in initial local test runs to save 2,5% diesel.
Tests in the U.S. have achieved diesel savings of 7,45%.
Serco managing director Clinton Holcroft said the lightweight
flexible plastic panels used in the side skirts were resilient in the event of
contact with fixed objects, had a smooth finish providing an ideal surface for
branding and had a potentially attractive payback.
The skirts can be attached in a day at Serco branches in Durban,
Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Holcroft said Freightwing had arranged for a formal test to be done
on a Serco trailer at Gerotek, Pretoria West. Conditions for the test were
stringent and in line with parameters required in the U.S. The process involved
testing over a two-day period, where the variables such as tyre pressure,
trailer and truck weight, driver habits, temperature and wind speed are all
monitored so as to ensure accurate readings can be measured of the fuel
consumption with and without the Aeroflex skirts fitted.
At 80 km/h, a minimum saving of 2,5% on fuel was achieved. “This is
significant because such a saving results in a payback of less than 12 months.
During the testing we picked up some ideas to fine tune the fitment to achieve a
result more in line with the proven fuel savings achieved in the USA. We are now
in the process of refining our fitment techniques which we believe will get fuel
savings close to our target of five percent,” said Holcroft.
Serco has devised a return-on-investment calculator and loaded it
on to their website to enable customers to get an idea of what sort of payback
they could achieve with the Aeroflex fairings.
“Saving running costs while going greener couldn’t be easier.”
