Getting a tail

I read the title and was about to say "Congratulations - are you taking her to dinner?"

 

A company I'm about to go back to use the tails. It saves a little on fuel, not a whole bunch from what I remember. They didn't open automatically though they did close when you open your back doors. Best advice I can give you is just to remember that they're there, and to close them when you've parked for the night. Other trucks my back into it! I never really had any issues with them aside from the fact that I think they look silly.

 

They also provide shelter from the rain while breaking your seals

 

Our Wabash and utility trailers are a snap with the bustle. They all have single trailer door handles and you can open, close and seal the doors with the wings closed. The Great Danes are a pain because they have double door handles and you can't latch the outer door latches unless you extend the panels. A minor gripe overall.

Other than that, close them when parked unless you're on party row in the back and your ### end is over the grass anyways.

Ours don't open automatically unless you mean hitting a bump and having the weak latches come loose on older ones, lol.

 

Ours don't open Automatically.
Not sure how that works? Guess that's a different model or something?

Just have to remember to close them when backing in someplace.
Or pick a spot where nobody can back in behind you.
Not a bad idea to close them anyway really.

 

The company I'm headed to on Monday has them installed on 2 trailers for a trial run. They posted a video where it shows that they open and close along with the trailer doors...for now. After a few months of (ab)use, I'm sure they probably won't work like that.

My opinion. They look like they're a pain in the ###...

 

I haven't pulled with them, but it seems I ONLY see the neutered trucks with them...some drivers have them and don't extend them out in transit for whatever reason. Other drivers don't retract them when parked at a T/S either, just leave them hanging into the stall behind them...my personal favorite is on the fuel island, when a driver with a tail doesn't pull up far enough for the next truck to reach the nozzles without hitting the tail..had that happen a couple times and it pissed me off!!!

 

Company says you don't have to open them if you're empty. I don't get it but, whatever makes them happy. As for the rest of what you said, that's just idiot drivers being idiots and inconsiderate.

 

I drove with them for a year. My company got a 7% fuel reduction using them! wheel covers! and trailer skirts, but there was nothing automatic about the ones I used. In snowy conditions, ice and snow build up inside the deployed wings, making them difficult to close. That, of course, makes opening the rear doors impossible. I kept a very long barroom and a step ladder attached to the cab for those times.

Wings do reduce air turbulence for following vehicles, though I'm not sure it would have mattered much.