Charlotte – October 19, 2026 -- FlowBelow Aero, Inc. has launched a redesigned Trailer AeroSlider System that saves 3.0 gallons of fuel per 1,000 miles, with a payback period the company says can fall below 12 months at current diesel prices. The company unveiled the product at the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition, held Oct. 17-20, 2026, in Charlotte.
Record diesel prices drive the savings case
The U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national average on-highway diesel price at $6.179 a gallon on Oct. 12, after a record $6.529 on Sept. 21. At $6.18 a gallon, the AeroSlider delivers about $18.54 in fuel savings for every 1,000 miles a trailer travels.
FlowBelow President and Chief Technology Officer Josh Butler said the design target was payback in under 18 months for a typical regional or long-haul fleet at $3.00 per gallon diesel. At today's prices, he said, payback can be under 12 months for trailers running as few as 30,000 miles a year.
System targets the trailer tandem, where drag is most complex
The AeroSlider combines FlowBelow trailer wheel covers, flow-through mud flaps and optimized rear fairings. The fairings direct air leaving the tandem slightly outward and rearward, which dilutes the trailer wake and reduces turbulence around the wheels and suspension.
The system mounts to the sliding suspension and moves with it. Fuel savings therefore persist when fleets reposition the tandem for different loads and axle-weight requirements.
Redesign replaces two fairings with one and cuts install time to 45 minutes
FlowBelow first introduced the AeroSlider in 2017. The new version gets greater savings from a single fairing than the earlier design got from separate center and rear fairings. The company says the result is a smaller, more durable and cheaper package.
The complete system weighs less than 30 pounds and installs on existing trailers in under 45 minutes. It fits virtually any make or model of dry van or reefer trailer and requires no driver involvement.
MVT Solutions testing verifies 1.77 and 1.23 gallons of savings per 1,000 miles
In June 2026, MVT Solutions ran independent fuel economy tests using 2019 International LT tractors pulling loaded 53-foot dry van trailers. The baseline configuration already included side skirts and trailer wheel covers. Adding the AeroSlider rear fairings and flow-through mud flaps saved 1.77 gallons per 1,000 miles against that baseline.
In separate testing, MVT Solutions verified 1.23 gallons per 1,000 miles in savings from FlowBelow trailer wheel covers. The two results combine to the 3.0-gallon figure. FlowBelow developed the system through computational fluid dynamics modeling, wind-tunnel testing and track testing.
Retrofit and factory-fit options are available now
The AeroSlider is sold directly by FlowBelow for retrofit. Fleets can also specify it on new trailers through participating trailer manufacturers. Butler said side skirts won widespread adoption on strong savings relative to cost, and he called the AeroSlider potentially "the next practical step" for cutting trailer drag without meaningful added weight, maintenance or driver involvement.