California Trailer Skirt Laws

you must work for MVT? I have no doubt that with their set-up, wheel covers, skirts, fins, super-singles, that fuel mileage is great. But image should count for something don't you think? I also have no doubt that skirts work in a straight head wind or tail wind; but how often do you drive in that? Too me, tail fins are more practical than side skirts, although I don't think any of it is that practical and should absolutely not be mandated by any government. Side skirts are a feel-good gimmick and I've even researched them a bit. The companies that make them talk about fuel savings per year and come-up with certain dollar amounts. Bogus! Obviously this is an average but all of this would depend on wind conditions. BTW, I'm not aerodynamically challenged. I've spent a good 20 years of my life working in the bicycle racing industry (hobby). If skirts are so great, show me the wind tunnel data with results for all conditions. They can't because they have probably never been tested in a wind tunnel. It's feel-good legislation and this topic has come up before in the forum. One driver even said that he has done the math and it is just as I say......Head-wind better fuel mileage, all the other times worse fuel mileage. IMO, lower rolling resistance tires are the best way to reduce fuel costs and of course slow down a bit. If you can find actual wind tunnel data on trailer skirts please post it; I'd love to take a look at it.

 

Looks like my post wasn't liked and part of it edited out. Just goes to show those who don't like to hear the truth and those who are afraid to mention the truth because of being scared of BS legal action.

 

Carb this, emission that, permit this, have to have that, 55mph across the desert, anal checks at the ports of entry and hefty highway robbery tickets for non compliance. It maybe ok for those who can afford all that extra garbage to comply, but what about the small guys that are doing good to make it by? Thats just the trucking side of the horse ####. You still have your constitutional rights being yanked away in Cali, NY and D.C. faster than any other part of the country.
The story you described is irrelevant to the subject at hand, more so someone who just complains about anything including a curb. Stupid #### to be exact.

 

I don't buy veggies from the store. We grow ours on our land. If its something we can't grow in our climate then we just do without. Hopefully in the next year or two we will be able to start slaughtering our own meet besides just deer and bore. From then on the only time I'll actually have to shop for groceries is for the truck.

 

And doesn't that crap add a couple hundred more pounds to the truck and cost more in repairs when something gets damaged from road debris?

 

Sir your referenced post has no useful technical info concerning trailer skirts. Your post belongs in a political forum. And are you suggesting that this forum staff is scared of any legal action resulting from the inclusion on this board of your enlightening post?

 

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Nope. Munoz trucking but my boss has been closely monitoring MVTs experiences.

 

Well I was close! Lol! I know about their operation (MVT). A good friend of mine is the Michelin truck tire rep for the area and he always tells me how MVT is all about the fuel mileage. Nothing wrong with that though, as long as it works for them.

 

Our current dedicated customer, who we use their trailer, has 3 skirted vans we sometimes use. I'm not impressed with them at all, especially in really bad snow, they appear to have more rust buildup, the brakes seem to freeze up faster when parked for short periods unloading, also those skirts get damaged easier, we don't have time to tuck them up or mess with them, when we are on a tight schedule.

 

There is an MVT driver who lives near me, I see him with the truck/trailer at home occasionally, I notice they rarely use those tailfins on the trailers, and most of those wheel covers are looking beatup.

Going back to the whole Cali. thing, they have been requiring specific tires for their fuel savings, I've talked several Canadian drivers who are less than pleased with those tires in snow/ice.