Benefits and “Reasons of How and Why” TruckAid LLC’s “Airglide” brand Air Deflectors, relatively small and inexpensive devices, outperform much larger and more expensive air fairing/cab extender systems.

Fully understanding that the device is first labeled an “Aerodynamic Fuel Saving Device”, we listed reported and known intended or unintended consequences of our product vs. other products and proceeding in point form, stating the documented benefits and/or advantages our product has proven to provide you with:

·        First, the Airglide’s main purpose is to save fuel; it does this by deflecting the air away from the front wall of the van body or trailer unit, reducing the aero drag, requiring less engine horsepower thereby saving fuel . . . Compared to other devices, the frontal surface is similar in size to other aero device therefore, the fuel conservation numbers are virtually the same regardless how big the fairing is –   We all punch about the same size hole into the wind (the amount of air displaced) at the same speed under the same height and width laws.

HOWEVER, TruckAid LLC’s “Airglide” Air Deflector’s unique air flow is based on the “Ram Air Effect” produced by the vehicle’s velocity speeding into the wind and allowing a small portion of the air impacted to rush underneath the unit, through a specific spacing between the Air Deflector and the tractor roof into the gap behind; this air flow is of high velocity (approx. hurricane category #1 velocity – because of the speed of the vehicle) but changes to become a low velocity pressurized air mass because of the “back pressure” created by the front wall of the van body or the trailer, thereby eliminating all vacuum behind the cab and Air Deflector unit.  This pressurized zone will continue to regenerate itself as long as the vehicle is moving at highway speed.

·        The regenerating (building up the pressure zone in the gap) is a continuing low velocity air flow and since the engine, new exhaust aftertreatment equipment, transmission and other heat exchangers are located in the vicinity, the “Airglide” Aero-Aids will assist in dissipating heat build-up because “heat will simply follow the air escaping from the gap” between the tractor and the trailer – because of the “Ram Air Effect”.

·        Since the regenerating (building up the pressure zone in the gap) is a continuing low velocity but pressurized air flow, dirt/road spray particles trying to enter the gap will find resistance from the continuing escaping air and since this flow is stronger than the atomized road spray, a “self-cleaning effect” is achieved because contamination will be virtually “blown away” instead of being allowed to enter and deposit itself on the various surfaces causing corrosion - Our observations have shown that the air flow produced by the “Airglide” unit, when used in a rainy day, is actually producing a “pressure washer environment”, flushing away heavy road particles which have entered the gap.

When it stops raining, the “Ram Air Effect” will provide for a speedy dry-out of any wet surfaces in the vicinity.  (Note: This is of benefit in areas using calcium chloride during the winter months – once the road spray has stopped, the ram air flow will quickly dry the accumulated spray deposits reducing their corrosive progression).

·       Again, since the regenerating (building up the pressure zone in the gap) is a continuing low velocity but pressurized air flow, any trailer mounted reefer unit will benefit from a virtually ideal operational environment since the pressurized air is relatively clean and all “flying objects” are deflected away from the reefer apparatus (bugs are a major contaminator of reefers and require much maintenance time to clean once “baked on”).

·        The “Airglide”, because of its managed air flow, does not require any cab extenders – cab extenders are only needed to reduce the vacuum produced behind large fairing units, and by their large surface area, restricting air to be “sucked” into the gap; otherwise, they are of little other benefits and  are very costly to maintain.

·       Since you do not need cab extenders with our product, all cab extender related “inconveniences” are eliminated such as purchasing costs, jackknife damage repair costs, high frequency vibration, damage to either the device, the mounting brackets and/or the mounting points on the cab repair costs, reduced visibility in back-up maneuvers and eliminating the risk of cab extender caused injuries to the driver when handling the various connectors and during cleaning of the tractor cab, windows, etc.

·         Fairing devices, by producing a vacuum behind them, are continuously “sucking up” dirty contaminated air/road spray, allowing for this contamination to deposit itself onto the tractor cab. . . It seems that new paints do not resist the road dirt as well as our older paints and these dirty deposits will promote a corrosive action reducing the paint’s life cycle considerably.  Note: The vacuum’s “suction action” is trapping the lighter atomized road spray (similar to fog) and is distributing the road dirt evenly onto all surfaces behind the fairing/cab thereby affecting areas which normally would not be considered for road dirt contamination such as the roof of the cab, exhaust stacks, air horns, etc.

·       The “Airglide” is manufactured of white color impregnated fiberglass – no painting required (but can be painted easily if needed) and is providing an ideal surface for Corporate logo – Fleet advertising.   All raw materials used in the manufacturing of the Air Deflector are salt water marine quality polyester fiberglass easily repaired if impact damaged by stone or road debris and weighing only 27 lbs.  If the damage is large enough to cause an actual breakage such as impacting a bridge or roll-up door, the low cost to exchange the complete unit will eliminate the need for repair, a process which is costly and time consuming on fairing devices.

·       The Airglide’s bottom mounting flange can be used to mount GPS devices and will keep them in a clean environment without any functional resistance since the fiberglass part is very thin allowing the “receiving waves” to go through freely.

·       The Airglide’s shape does not provide any surface for snow to build up when at speed or when the vehicle is standing still; also, ice rain will drain off similar than from the surface of the windshield eliminating the risk of large, thick pieces of ice or snow to fall off the vehicle after start-up and the surface angles of the “Airglide” unit do not allow for continuing sun ray exposure . . . unlike fairing devices, because of their horizontal top surfaces, being affected by the ultraviolet rays of the sun accelerating the aging process many times resulting in the need of premature repainting of the large fairing device.

·       The Airglide’s structure (it is actually a combination of a shield and a small fairing) is multiple triangulated and engineered to continue the triangulation within the mounting bracket in relation to the roof.  The light weight structure is very strong and does not cause a high frequency vibration noise when traveling at highway speed (because of the positive pressure zone behind it) and for resale, it can be easily removed from a tractor if the new owner does not require it, such as a tanker or flat bed operation.  The removal will only take minutes and there will be no modifications required to the tractor cab and/or marker lights.

·       Costs:  We are estimating that costs for a DayCab air fairing and cab extenders are about $1,900.00 to $2,200.00 and further estimating that costs for the “Airglide”, together with the OEM factory installed roof reinforcing brackets, are about $800.00.  The difference, approximately $1,100.00 to $1,400.00 is an initial per unit profit when purchasing the tractor, and the above mentioned “maintenance reducing functions” of the “Airglide” will provide ongoing additional profits to the Owner/Operator throughout the life cycle of the tractor.

·        Also considering that a “not-too-serious” mistake by a truck driver can result in repair costs of the fairing, the cab extenders and the tractor cab they are attached to of easily $1,000.00 or more (let’s assume he hits a not fully opened roll-up door) the same mistake would be less than $400.00 by exchanging the complete damaged Air Deflector unit requiring a few minutes only, with very little down time to the tractor.

·     The final point of convenience lies in the simplicity and interchangeability of the “Airglide” unit . . . Regardless of DayCab make or model, we have only one size Air Deflector thereby reducing inventory requirements to a minimum and providing the Owner with the freedom to “switch” units if the tractors vocation is changing to tanker or flat bed operation.  Also, it can be retrofitted to used DayCabs . . . We are providing a roof reinforcing kit readily available through our Parts Department and with about $4.00 per gallon fuel cost, retrofitting used tractors or full size trucks with TruckAid LLC’s “Airglide” Aero-Aids will provide the owners with the opportunity to improve their tractors to the efficiency level required in today’s high cost of energy and maintenance costs with the additional benefit of contributing to our “Green Truck” corporate responsibility.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL TRUCKAID LLC

Toll Free 1-866-844-8292

E-mail: truckaid@usa.com