A teardrop trailer is an aerodynamically shaped

semi-trailer A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. In the United States, the term is also used to refer to the combination of a truck and a semi-trailer; a tractor-trailer. A large proportion of a semi-trailer's weight is supported by a trac ...

with a curved-roof that differs in shape from the traditional rectangularly shaped trailer. The trailer is meant to be paired with a compatibly designed

tractor unit A tractor unit (also known as a truck unit, power unit, prime mover, ten-wheeler, semi-tractor, tractor truck, semi-truck, tractor cab, truck cab, tractor rig, truck rig or big rig or simply a tractor, truck, semi or rig) is a characteristical ...

leading to greater fuel efficiency of the

tractor-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer a ...

combination. As such, the "teardrop" phrase refers to the entire combination, not just the trailer. The curved shape of the roof decreases aerodynamic drag by smoothing airflow over the top, thus improving fuel efficiency. One operator has reported the trailers save 2% in fuel in service that included significant low speed delivery operation and 5% in higher speed long-haul operation. Another factor improving airflow is the gap between the tractor and trailer is minimized to lessen the amount of

turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to a laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between ...

created by air flowing into the gap. Teardrop trailers are only available in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and manufactured by one company, Don-Bur Trailers & Bodies Ltd which has

patented A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

the design. The manufacturer claims they can save 11.3% in fuel. The design echos streamlined shapes used in submarines, automobiles and camping trailers. The first streamlined car was the Tropfenwagen introduced in 1921, named after its teardrop shape (the literal translation from German is "drop car"). A study of trucking fleets in

North American North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Ca ...

found that improving trailer aerodynamics was the least used method for improving fuel efficiency. Improving tractor aerodynamics and using low rolling resistance tires were adopted at much higher rates.

Adoption

The trailers have been used in the

for several years by various operators.

Deutsche Post DHL The Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL Group, is a German multinational package delivery and supply chain management company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is one of the world's largest courier companies. T ...

operates over 1,100 in the UK and was the first operator in continental Europe; it announced in 2014 that it would utilize the trailers in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

External links

Manufacturer Website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teardrop Trailer (Truck) Road haulage Articulated vehicles Shipping and the environment Transportation engineering Transport economics Energy conservation

Adoption

See also

External links

References