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NOT SUCH A DRAG
Page 51
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ifs behind you...
efore speccing a tractor unit, operators need to ask themselves what will be behind it —that's the expert advice from Hatcher Components' Craig Poacher.
For many operators, the advantages of the high-cube trailer are obvious. However, some of the benefits of increased capacity are being lost through reduced fuel efficiency Recently, in a relatively small section of the M6, I made a note of the number of vehicles with incorrect spoiler adjustments. Out of 32 vehicles I recorded, only five had spoilers at the correct height for the trailer being towed.
"With European legislation limiting trailer height to 4m, it isn't economically viable for manufacturers to provide an air kit option for high-cube trailers. Until now, operators have had to make do with a conventional air kit, but this isn't the answer. Not only are they often more expensive to purchase but they're losing out on fuel savings, too," says Poacher.
A specialist high-cube air kit can pay for itself in as little as two months, he adds. "The fuel savings Wickes made prove how aerodynamic inefficiencies can increase fuel consumption. After fitting the air kit, km/lit improved from 2.68 to just under 3.0, "Over the six-week trial period, this produced fuel savings of £431.36. Since then, fuel prices have risen again — so the economics speak for themselves," concludes Poacher.