Explore The Benefits Of Using Eco Flaps

By Author: Lisa Murray
Total Articles: 5
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Big-rig and large body vehicles are impressive vehicles. They often operate under hostile conditions and, per gallon, are very efficient vehicles for transporting large amounts of freight long distances. Because they have a high power-to-weight ratio, and because they can carry so much freight at a time, large trucks such as 18-wheelers are often the backbone of land-based logistics companies, and they form an integral part of almost all world-wide logistics operations. However, these vehicles also have large cross sections, and that means that they catch a lot of wind. Unfortunately, wind works against the vehicle, and causes it to be much less efficient than it could be. And one place that many vehicles experience wind resistance, and one that is often overlooked by aerodynamics tests, is the under-body mud flap. These flaps are put in place to help to protect the undersides of the vehicle, as well as to protect motorists and vehicles that are traveling behind these large vehicles. Because mud flaps are an integral part of all large vehicles, they are often the cause of increased wind resistance. However, a new style ...
... of mud flap has recently been introduced that can help to mitigate the effects of wind resistance while still providing the protection of traditional mud flaps.

Eco flaps, which are mud flaps that have been designed to allow air to pass through them, are replacements for traditional mud flaps. An eco flap kit is easy to install on existing equipment, and has been shown to reduce the amount of fuel wasted due to wind resistance by as much as eight percent per vehicle. Installing an eco flap kit is as simple as installing a traditional mud flap, and it will come packaged with all the mounting hardware necessary to replace existing flaps. In additional to allowing logistics and trucking companies to save money on fuel, an eco flap kit has the additional benefit of reducing maintenance costs overall, because these kits are designed to last longer than traditional rubber kits. Finally, the components of the eco flap kit are designed specifically for high-wind and side-wind scenarios, which means they are tested under a variety of road conditions and, thus, will outlast traditional mud flap kits.

There are other potential benefits to installing an eco flap kit on each vehicle in your fleet. Saving money on fuel means that your overall costs will be reduced, and that means you can reinvest more money into your fleet, and into better serving your clients. Because customer satisfaction is essential to all logistics companies, an eco flap kit thus serves not only as a way to save money, but also as part of your customer service initiative. By lowering your clients' costs, and by providing a higher level of customer service overall, an eco flap kit is not only an investment into the environment, it's an investment into your company and its future.

Ensuring that your fleet has a minimal impact on the environment is a very real responsibility, and one that should be taken seriously by all logistics companies. However, maintaining a health environment doesn't have to come at the cost of fuel efficiency, and an eco flap kit does both. Because your fleet will use less fuel per year, it is actually reducing your company's carbon footprint, decreasing its negative impact on the environment, and increasing the visibility of your company's environmental awareness. Because many companies today are actively trying to conserve environmental resources, showing that your company is an active participant in their efforts will attract more eco-friendly clients, and thus increase your customer base overall.

Lisa Murray is a freelance writer for Fleet Fuel Saver. He is interested in eco-friendly practices, fuel economy, and logistics. For more information about how an eco flap kit could help you, visit Fleet Fuel Saver online today.