Talking about them side skirts..

Lil hijacking here, but here goes.
Seeing alot of side skirts now. I havent heard anyone say yet, but they must help, getting so everyone has them. How much do they improve mileage?
I can picture myself doing exactly what these pictures show, someday next winter, bulling through a snowbank, into a parking lot.

 

I was hauling a brokered load out of southern arkansas a few weeks ago and they had a retrofitted dock around the back. The warehouse was even with the ground level, so they dug it out to get enough height under the dock plate to meet a trailer deck.

I noticed there were some deep grooves in the pavement at the top of the incline from landing gear, but there were also some pencil wide grooves and white dust and fiberglass chips all through the gravel.

While I was getting loaded, I finished up my paperwork, and gazed off into the woods, saw some white poking through the brush, and thought I might have lucked out on finding some mushrooms.


I ambled over hoping to luck out on a free meal, when what should I see but three torn up side skirts ditched in the woods.

I've seen a lot of breakaway designs for side skirts on some trailers I've hauled, and a lot of red tagged trailers with their side skirts chucked in the back relatively undamaged thanks to said breakaway brackets. They do rattle quite a bit while pulling around a lot, but they seem to do their job well.

 

Time to get some side skirt locks to keep them from getting stolen....LOL

 

I say they were just planted and haven't had a chance to grow in yet.

Right??

 

Does anyone know how much those cost? Only asking because even IF they save a small fraction of fuel and "IF" is a huge word. I would think that you tore even one off or damaged one any fuel savings would be in the toilet.

 

I heard Ohio was seriously thinking of requiring them Iron Haulers to install them bad boys. Sounds like plan to me.

 

What I have found...they really help in a cross wind...but are only designed to give any MPG help if the unit is doing 70mph or better.

Makes a lot of sense for CA to be requiring them now doesn't it!?!

We have been warned about steep approach docks and tearing them off. There should be some mechanism for the driver to be able to "fold them up" when a steep dock is being used.

 

Looks like my dogs got a hold of 'em!

 

Ha, I told my driver I was going to hang 1/4" plywood from the conestoga track and cover the tires completely. He said that's all he needs to get 10mpg! Haha what a joke.

To me it seems most of this junk is like the latest news story about how long it takes just to break even with an electric car. 9 years on a Nissan Leaf and 26.6 yrs with that POS volt. Take the purchase price and factor in the added weight and maintenance what are you left with? If they do save fuel but takes 2 yrs or more to break even assuming you never damage one.........no thanks!

 

I asked a driver that runs coast to coast with them, and he told me there is a difference of 0.7mpg.