Trailer Tail

[usafk9]

What kind of financial analysis and assumptions went into the purchase decision? What was the cost? Did you do a spreadsheet? Are you able and willing to share the numbers?

As I'm sure they will again, the Caffee's are not going to be shy about posting their fuel numbers after a solid time period to show results has been gained.

Actually, I'm pretty happy that they and others like them are willing to test new products to get an even better handle on fuel - our number one cost.

Now that that's done, care to share some of your detailed analysis on fitness club ownership and your numbers?

 

[LDB]

It is a little trickier for a shorter person.

So in other words it's extremely tricky for you.

 

[Turtle]

Now that that's done, care to share some of your detailed analysis on fitness club ownership and your numbers?

Please, let's at least make a modicum of effort to keep this thread on topic. Thank you.

 

[Murraycroexp]

Where's "Channel 19" when you need it?!?!

 

[roadeyes]

I hope you achieve significant enough fuel savings to be able to realize payback in a short period of time.

Unfortunately you will have to keep them "tucked in" if you venture north of the border as they are still "under study" here and cannot as of yet be legally deployed

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safevehicles-motorcarriers-environment-boat-tails-1307.htm

 

[moose]

Good morning!
looking good!!
per MPCA those are illegal in Minnesota!!!
(M.N have a 41 foot law, but you can buy an OD annual permit. which will be throwing good money away. i can provide a link some day, or you can simply call the Lakeland scale house, they are in the know, and over the years answered a few questions...}
i know a guy here that will be more then happy to invent/install a remote control so you can closed it from the comfort{o.k- VERY comfort} of your cab.
i don't think the ROI is important in this case - it's makes Linda happy!
way to go!

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I hope you achieve significant enough fuel savings to be able to realize payback in a short period of time.

Unfortunately you will have to keep them "tucked in" if you venture north of the border as they are still "under study" here and cannot as of yet be legally deployed

Trailer Boat Tail Aerodynamic and Collision Study - Transport Canada

Great Link...Thanks...

 

[ATeam]

per MPCA those are illegal in Minnesota!!!
(M.N have a 41 foot law, but you can buy an OD annual permit. which will be throwing good money away. i can provide a link some day, or you can simply call the Lakeland scale house, they are in the know, and over the years answered a few questions...}

That is an interesting point that takes me back to when we had our truck built. The straight-truck length limit is very real. Back then, we were very careful to build our truck to a length of 40 feet and not an inch more, to the point of shaving down the depth of the dock bumpers to achieve that 40' limit. We did thorough research and learned that removable components are counted in that 40 feet.

That was over six years ago and the laws may have changed. We see these trailer-tail devices on semi-trailers and presume they go to all states. I am not familiar with the regs themselves but know that environmental exceptions have been made on some equipment at least. Do such exceptions extend to straight trucks?

Specifically, the question is, are trailer-tail devices legal on straight trucks? And if so, what regulation or ruling exactly makes makes it so?

Since Moose brought up Minnesota and since Diane and I are familiar with the Minnesota straight-truck regs that were current when we built our truck, let's use Minnesota as a test case. What regulation or ruling exactly makes trailer-tail devices legal on straight trucks that are registered in and/or operated in Minnesota?

When that regulation or ruling is identified, does it apply to all other states and Canada too?

Note that there is nothing in the regs that prohibit the trailer-tail devices themselves. The issue is their affect on the length of the truck, whether deployed or not. In Minnesota, at the time we spec'ed our truck, 40 feet was 40 feet, whatever the devices the truck may have on it.

 

[ATeam]

I answered my own question by looking at this page on the ATDDynamics web site. The DOT exception applies to "commercial vehicles" which includes straight trucks in the U.S.

 

[moose]

i have looked on link you provided i can't see ANY wording that allow more then 41 foot.
it is an assumption @ best.
i will also despute you claim of 40 foot in Minnesota, i looked into it back in 2010 and remember the 41 rule, i will look it up.
as i told Henry Albert and Terry OcConnol @ the expo, i have a friend in Minnesota that developed a similar device for trucks with a rolling tarp like the one my carrier use. it's basically a camping igloo tent that can be extended up to 7 foot.
he is currently talking @ about 500$ installed, with 3 year warranty. the cost of hardware is about 110$, and he is shopping for a marketing co. @ the time.
smart kid!

 

[ATeam]

i have looked on link you provided i can't see ANY wording that allow more then 41 foot.
it is an assumption @ best.

It's more than an assumption. The words "exclude an aerodynamic device from the measured length of a commercial vehicle" are there and clear in their meaning.

 

[Moot]

i don't think the ROI is important in this case - it's makes Linda happy!
way to go!

What is this ROI you speak of? I am happy that Linda is happy! Will this ROI also make Phil happy?

 

[moose]

Will this ROI also make Phil happy?

well, afterall he did just spent a little fortune on an investment that will place him among sweaty teens girl for the next 2 decades...
and no, he did not invested in skirts and tails...

 

[TruckingSurv]

place him among sweaty teens girl for the next 2 decades...

Or overweight sweaty old people trying to get in shape I think we are totally derailed now.

To get back on track, I am going to follow the "tail" story with interest and look forward to the long term updates, any dollar saved on fuel is a dollar in the pocket.

TS

 

[ATeam]

What is this ROI you speak of? I am happy that Linda is happy! Will this ROI also make Phil happy?

Kindly note that in post #5 in this thread I mentioned the non-financial benefits of a TrailerTail purchase. So, yes, if someone wants to include the value of happiness when evaluating a given purchase, that ROI logic can be deemed legitimate (the logic itself, that is, the logic as it is consistent with itself).

Using that logic, let's say that for me personally, a clean, shiny truck would provide more happiness than a truck with a TrailerTail installed. So if we assume that a $7.00 bottle of truck wax and one-day's labor spent waxing the truck produces 10 units of happiness over a one-year period (the useful life of the wax job), and a TrailerTail on our truck would produce five units of happiness, then the wax job would have a vastly superior ROI to the TruckTail because (1) the cost of the wax job is much lower, and (2) the units of happiness are greater.

Now, since the TrailerTail is installed only once and the wax job must be done once a year, it could be argued that the total TrailerTail happiness would come to exceed the wax-job happiness over time. But, since non-financial reasons can be included in an ROI calculation, and since I really want to be happier with a wax job than with a TrailerTail, I can achieve my happiness goal by preserving the ROI logic but changing the happiness input to give the wax job 100 units of happiness instead of a meager 10. After all, on a sunny day, the freshly-washed truck would make me really, really happy!

Many purchases are prompted and justified by non-financial reasons and there is nothing wrong with that. If being happy with your purchases matters most, then the amount of happiness a given purchase provides also matters most.

But for someone who is serious about increasing one's profit in a trucking business, other considerations command greater attention and require deeper and more objective thought.

So, if someone wants to complete a true financial analysis of a straight-truck TrailerTail purchase, we need the numbers. For starters, we need to know, how much does it cost to install a TrailerTail on a straight truck?

 

[moose]

Many purchases are prompted and justified by non-financial reasons and there is nothing wrong with that. i never thought you'll say this, it's like you are almost ready for your retirement job...
. For starters, we need to know, how much does it cost to install a TrailerTail on a straight truck?

according to the link provided up there in the OP, it's probably around 999.99 units of happiness.
for me, making money is almost worthless, when i wake up in the morning, the idea of making the most money almost never cross my mind. there's a simple rezone for it. i have seen MANY people that have very little money, yet they are happier then i will ever be. traveling the world, and experiencing history gives some perspective for what is important in life. the mindset here in America where so many treat worthless FIAT currancy as the o'l mighty god makes me lough at times. sorry, had to vent out a bit.

 

[ATeam]

The point of my post #35 above was not to equate money with happiness. It was to illustrate the hazards of including happiness in making a business decision.

Money and happiness is a philosophical discussion that I am not interested in having. I am interested in the economics of putting a TrailerTail on a straight truck. That is a straightforward business discussion, unless you want to take an Alice in Wonderland journey through your spreadsheet.

Business wise, it does not matter if the purchase of a TrailerTail makes you happy. What matters are the profits or losses such a device will produce if purchased and used.

Business is not about happiness. There are happy business people and unhappy business people. Some happy business people are successful in business and some are not. Some unhappy business people are successful in business and some are not. So, not only is business not about happiness, success is not about happiness either.

Leaving happiness out of it and getting back to the business aspect of a TrailerTail on a straight truck, the starting question is, once again, how much does it cost to install a TractorTail on a straight truck?

Note that I am not asking Linda how much she paid. Whatever promotional credits she may or may not have gotten are immaterial. The question is, how much does it cost to install a TractorTail on a straight truck?

Linda, if you cannot provide a precise cost, can you at least provide a range? What can a non-truck-show-going, non-product-promoting, just-folks expediter expect to pay to put a TrailerTail on a straight truck?

 

[Moot]

Kindly note that in post #5 in this thread I mentioned the non-financial benefits of a TrailerTail purchase.

I must have missed it and you posted twice, posted twice. Sure you typed the words "non-financial benefits" in post 5, but you really didn't mention what these "non-financial benefits" are.

The bottom line is, how much money do you want to put into your truck and tank (additives) to boost your fuel economy, and how much is it worth it to you (including the non-financial benefits) really?

So, yes, if someone wants to include the value of happiness when evaluating a given purchase, that ROI logic can be deemed legitimate (the logic itself, that is, the logic as it is consistent with itself).

Using that logic, let's say that for me personally, a clean, shiny truck would provide more happiness than a truck with a TrailerTail installed. So if we assume that a $7.00 bottle of truck wax and one-day's labor spent waxing the truck produces 10 units of happiness over a one-year period (the useful life of the wax job), and a TrailerTail on our truck would produce five units of happiness, then the wax job would have a vastly superior ROI to the TruckTail because (1) the cost of the wax job is much lower, and (2) the units of happiness are greater.

Now, since the TrailerTail is installed only once and the wax job must be done once a year, it could be argued that the total TrailerTail happiness would come to exceed the wax-job happiness over time. But, since non-financial reasons can be included in an ROI calculation, and since I really want to be happier with a wax job than with a TrailerTail, I can achieve my happiness goal by preserving the ROI logic but changing the happiness input to give the wax job 100 units of happiness instead of a meager 10. After all, on a sunny day, the freshly-washed truck would make me really, really happy!

Many purchases are prompted and justified by non-financial reasons and there is nothing wrong with that. If being happy with your purchases matters most, then the amount of happiness a given purchase provides also matters most.

But for someone who is serious about increasing one's profit in a trucking business, other considerations command greater attention and require deeper and more objective thought.

So, if someone wants to complete a true financial analysis of a straight-truck TrailerTail purchase, we need the numbers. For starters, we need to know, how much does it cost to install a TrailerTail on a straight truck?

I believe Shane runs 70 psi all around and he seems very happy!

 

[Moot]

The point of my post #35 above was not to equate money with happiness. It was to illustrate the hazards of including happiness in making a business decision.

Money and happiness is a philosophical discussion that I am not interested in having. I am interested in the economics of putting a TrailerTail on a straight truck. That is a straightforward business discussion, unless you want to take an Alice in Wonderland journey through your spreadsheet.

Business wise, it does not matter if the purchase of a TrailerTail makes you happy. What matters are the profits or losses such a device will produce if purchased and used.

Business is not about happiness. There are happy business people and unhappy business people. Some happy business people are successful in business and some are not. Some unhappy business people are successful in business and some are not. So, not only is business not about happiness, success is not about happiness either.

I just checked with Shane. He's still running 70 psi all around and is quite happy.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We have not been in adverse wind conditions so I have no personal experience and can only go off of what I have been told. They work great in a side wind.

The Trailer Tail weighs 160lbs for a dry box and 165lbs for a reefer

We took the Air Tabs off a while ago and have done some other changes, so the numbers will not compare apples to apples on the Air Tabs.

The sled configuration would not work for us due to our lift gate so this was not considered.

Yes Leo it can be extremely tricky for me to open... The truck has to be level. I was very impressed with how easy it is to maneuver though. I thought it would be tougher to open and close.

As of right now we would have to keep the Trailer Tail closed north of the border.

The trailer tail is legal in Minnesota Moose I am attaching a form (I hope)

Putting the branding on the Trailer Tail would look very odd going down the road with Fed on one side and Ex on the other in the back of the truck. The tail is usually only closed usually when backing into dock and our doors are open at that time as well.

The Trailer Tail branding is no different then the Freightliner and Cascadia on the side of truck, or the Bolt Custom Truck on the Sleeper, the Supreme box logo, Razor on our dolly legs, Innerlift on our lift gate.

We have not filled since we have put the Trailer Tail on but the dash numbers sure look good. When we have a couple of fills I will post these numbers. After we have run for a month or so I will post before and after numbers with a longer comparison.

We are not suggesting anyone buy this product what I am posting is our experiences and each person will have to make their own decision. Our philosophy is to share what we do so as someone else can learn from this and make his or her own decisions. If someone buys the Trailer Tail due to us we would see nothing from this nor from any other product I discuss that we use. I put out there what we do so that others can gain from our experiences.

The cost of the Trailer Tail is $2199.00 for a dry box and they say it usually costs $300 to $350 to install. Right now they suggest any straight truck come into Hayward, CA to have them installed. They are working on getting their measurement right for these type of trucks. I believe the cost for a Reefer Box is $2395.00 plus install. To get those facts it would be best to call the company and talk to Brendan McLoughlin, Regional Sales Manager Direct 323 632 8746