SCHNEIDER NATIONAL ROLLS OUT EFFICIENCY MEASURE

Schneider National Inc. is equipping its fleet with wheel covers designed to reduce turbulence created by the open rear wheels of the tractor unit.

The move is expected to decrease drag on trucks by about 1 percent for a savings of about 1.8 million gallons of fuel annually across the nearly 14,000-unit fleet.

"The idea behind this device is that it reduces the wind drag associated with wind going through the rim of the tire," Bryan Gerl, manager of Fuel Purchasing, for Schneider National said Thursday during a demonstration of the covers at the Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin headquarters. "Instead of the wind going inside the hub, it will deflect off and reduce drag."

 

The Deflecktor wheel covers, which were tested by the company for more than two years, are on about 1,500 trucks and will eventually become part of the entire fleet, Gerl said. More . . .