The new Flex Fairing is now made with a rubber alloy TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) resin, similar to that used in vehicle bumpers.
FlowBelow Aero announced the launch of its re-engineered Tractor AeroKit with Flex Fairing. The news came at a press conference at the American Trucking Association’s Management Conference & Exhibition.
This latest addition to FlowBelow’s portfolio of fuel-saving solutions builds on the success of the widely used AeroKit, first introduced in 2012.
Now made with cutting-edge materials and design features, it delivers increased durability in the field and improved operational performance.
Cutting-Edge Materials
“The Tractor AeroKit with Flex Fairing represents years of collaboration between our engineers, fleet customers and truck OEMs,” said Josh Butler, president and CTO of FlowBelow. “We’ve taken a great product and made it even better, addressing the challenging environments faced by today’s fleets in the real world.”
Key features of the new Tractor AeroKit with Flex Fairing:
- Enhanced Durability: The new Flex Fairing is made with a rubber alloy TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) resin, similar to that used in vehicle bumpers. This advanced material enables the fairing to bend and flex under impact, then immediately return to its original shape, making it well-suited for the tough conditions of heavy-duty trucking.
- Improved Bracket Design: All-aluminum support brackets are lighter, corrosion-resistant and repositioned to provide better clearance. The rear mounting bracketry features a 360-degree spring-loaded shoulder joint, allowing for multidirectional flexibility that works in conjunction with the fairing’s more pliable material.
- Fuel Savings: Independent testing confirms that the Tractor AeroKit with Flex Fairing saves fleets $1.26 per mile, or 3.16 gallons of fuel for every 1,000 miles driven.
- Extended Warranty: FlowBelow now offers a five-year/500,000-mile limited warranty, five times longer than the previous version, demonstrating FlowBelow’s resolute confidence in the product’s longevity.
The re-engineered AeroKit has undergone extensive field testing with 30 to 50 fleets, ranging from 100 to 600 sleeper cabs, since early 2024.
Paul Pettit, VP of Maintenance, Fuel and Facilities at Ascend, a 1000+ truck fleet based in Jackson, Tennessee, shared his experience: “We had a tire blow-out on a truck running the new AeroKit, and the entire kit survived the incident unscathed. It was an impressive testament to the durability of the new product.”
When combined with other products in FlowBelow’s aerodynamic portfolio, including its AeroFender and Trailer Wheel Covers, fleets can achieve savings of up to 5.88 gallons of fuel for every 1,000 miles driven, or 2.4 cents per mile.
Substantial Fuel Savings
To put this into perspective, a fleet of 100 long-haul trucks traveling 12,000,000 miles per year could save as much as $247,000 annually using FlowBelow’s complete suite of aerodynamic technologies.
This substantial savings is based on current diesel prices of $3.50 per gallon and demonstrates the significant impact that FlowBelow’s Tractor AeroKit with Flex Fairing, AeroFender and Trailer Wheel Covers can have on a fleet’s bottom line.
“From a profile perspective, AeroKit looks the same as the product that we’ve offered for years, noted David Black, vice president, fleet sales, FlowBelow. “However, that profile view is where the similarities end. Beyond that, we’ve built this new product to last. We’ve also backed it with a five-year warranty. Our standard warranty had been one year, but now it is five years or 500,000 miles, and we feel like that will get most fleets through their first useful life trade cycle. The differences are material, major material changes and design upgrades, we deliver the same great fuel savings that we always have, backed by a new, five-year warranty.”
The Tractor AeroKit with Flex Fairing is now available for purchase through FlowBelow directly or can be specified through any mod-center for installation on new truck builds.
