Wabash Composites, a division of Wabash National Corporation, has produced its 100,000th DuraPlate AeroSkirt.
Wabash National developed the DuraPlate AeroSkirt in 2009 to address customers’ needs for improved fuel economy. The solution improves fuel economy by up to 6 percent, the company says, and provides a low total cost of ownership for fleet owners.
The DuraPlate AeroSkirt is EPA SmartWay approved. Its structural composite material, DuraPlate, consists of two external steel skins thermally bonded to a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) core, to resist damage. The spring-bracket design allows for inboard and outboard deflection to further resist potential impact damage.
The DuraPlate AeroSkirt, originally designed for truckload applications, is also available for less-than-truckload and tank applications. In field tests, Wabash says it reduced fuel consumption up to 5 percent in less-than-truckload carriers and up to 7 percent in tank trailers.
