This Fleet Promote Good Causes with Vinyl Graphics

Finding a cure for breast cancer is one of the causes promoted by Mike Culbertson's materials-hauling rigs. Vantage end-dump displays a pink ribbon and Kenworth T680 tractor wears the special pink hue.  Photos: Tom Berg

Look at the graphics on that dump trailer! That's rather unusual for that kind of vehicle, but you'll see it and others if you live near Columbus, Ohio, where Mike's Trucking operates.

Mike Culbertson, founder of the materials-hauling fleet, identifies his company with a snappy pink, teal, and white logo, and in the last 10 years has applied advertising and theme designs to some of his aluminum dump trailers and truck bodies.

“I've done a flowing American flag, a POW-MIA, autism [awareness], and the fight for a breast cancer cure,” Culbertson said during HDT's visit on a recent Saturday morning.

Out on a large dirt lot, from a line of rigs parked for the weekend, he pulled a pink Kenworth tractor and Vantage end-dump trailer decorated with a big “Find The Cure” pink ribbon on either side; nearby sat other trailers carrying ads for a group of auto dealers, a John Deere implement dealer, and a radio station. Two new dump trucks sport graphics for another cancer campaign.

Except for the cost of producing and applying the wraps, the ads produce monthly revenue that goes to his company's bottom line. The radio station gives him reduced rates for his own commercials promoting his trucking service. The theme work he did out of patriotism and to support research efforts to find cures for the afflictions. He noted that several female friends have had breast cancer.

Route 40 Signs in Springfield collaborates on the designs, then produces and applies the vinyl wraps, according to Ryan Lee, a principal at the business. Mike's Trucking has been a regular customer for about five years, ...Read the rest of this story

FlowBelow Offers Quick-Release Aerodynamic Fairings

Photo: FlowBelow

FlowBelow has announced a new quick-release fairing option for the company's Tractor AeroKit system, allowing fleets to quickly remove fairings for easier access.

The quick-release mounting system allows drivers to remove the fairings in seconds without tools to accomplish tasks, such as installing tire chains, in quick order. The new feature is designed for fleets that have been resistant to using drive wheel fairings on trucks for accessibility reasons.

The Tractor AeroKit maximizes the aerodynamic performance of the company's wheel covers by also controlling the airflow between the wheels and behind the wheels. Based on SAE fuel economy testing, the fairings have demonstrated a significant fuel savings of 2.23% in combination with wheel covers, which is over three times the fuel savings of wheel covers alone.

“With the exception of the Freightliner Cascadia with Aero package, which comes standard with our wheel covers, over 80% of our customers utilize the complete AeroKit as opposed to wheel covers alone,” said Josh Butler, FlowBelow CEO. “Most fleets cannot even measure the fuel savings of wheel covers by themselves. By enhancing our AeroKit with quick-release fairings we are targeting customers that desperately want achieve the maximum fuel savings possible without creating extra work for their mechanics and drivers.”

Related: Peterbilt to Offer FlowBelow Fairing System on Model 579

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