Las Cruces, New Mexico – May 15, 2019 – MVT Solutions, a provider of breakthrough fuel economy testing and design and development services for the trucking industry, today announced that its evaluation of the Ex-Guard LT series grille guards, manufactured by Ex-Guard Industries, provides front end damage protection to trucks which have little to no negative impact on the trucks overall fuel efficiency.
“Our testing found the Ex-Guard LT-325 grille guard had no discernable effect on fuel economy while the LT-350 had only a small negative impact of -0.51%, which is a smaller impact than the tractor’s side mirrors,” stated Daryl Bear, lead engineer & COO at MVT Solutions.
“The results are what we expected based on feedback from fleets that already use our product, but we asked MVT Solutions to quantify the fuel consumption impact of our grille guards in an attempt to completely alleviate any concerns about MPG loss with our guards,”
Dennis Geipel, a representative from Ex-Guard added. “We chose MVT Solutions for these trials because of their reputation in fuel economy testing and wanted to eliminate any questionable variables that might have remained. These verified results will now allow fleets to make a well-informed decision about adding Ex-Guard grille guards based on their ability to prevent costly front-end damage.”
The certified testing by MVT Solutions was developed from race car engineering and advanced vehicle test methods using sensors and recording systems that collect data on fuel consumption, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, driver behavior and other variables that affect fuel consumption. The data is analyzed using MVTS proprietary methods.
For the Ex-Guard evaluations, two test vehicles ran simultaneously at 65 MPH on a 9-mile circle track. The 2019 International LT models were specified with Cummins X15 engines and Eaton 10-speed automated manual transmissions. The tractors pulled 53-ft Hyundai dry vans equipped with Michelin Energy Guard aerodynamic systems, and both tractors and trailers were fitted with single wide-base tires.
“Typically, interfering with the airflow on a vehicle can impact fuel economy significantly,” said Daryl Bear. “However, Ex-Guard products minimize their affect on aerodynamic drag because they are mounted several inches away from the front of the vehicle and are designed with round tubing, allowing air to continue flowing. Ex-Guard grille guards are not a fuel saving product, but our testing should provide fleets with the confidence to consider their use based on maintenance and operational costs as opposed to fuel economy losses.”
MVTS Transport conducted Third Party Real Life Testing with Ex-Guards.
The following are the results of that test.
25 Designs
No effect on fuel economy, therefore zero cost in fuel.
50 Designs
At 125,000 miles traveled annually, the fuel used would be 66 gallons, .5GAL/1000 miles.
-66 gallons/year x $2.58/gal = $162/yr fuel cost
Using the average retail cost of diesel fuel in the U.S. in 2020 at $2.58 /gal, this amounts to $162 annually in fuel per truck.
My last trip to Atlanta was for the TMC show that took place at the Georgia Convention Center. The show was fantastic! The overall theme of the time was saving money on gas, mileage and truck maintenance. People present included fleet managers and owners of dealerships. It was very nice to interact with long-time customers as well as being introduced to new customers like Prime Logistics.
During some of our conversations with fleets, we noticed a common issue, the drivers shortage. For drivers, this brings some exciting changes to the trucking industry. Fleet managers are offering big sign-on bonuses as an incentive to hire new drivers, overall they are pushing really hard to work with whoever they can that are qualified. In order to get qualified drivers, fleet managers are starting to offer generous start-up bonuses as an incentive. These bonuses range anywhere between $2,000 – $10,000. This startup bonus is especially appealing to couples who partner on up in trucking, doubling the bonus to $4,000-$20,000 for a household. This runs counter to some of the public fears circulating the trucking industry. Many drivers are fearful of job stability with the tech shift to the self-automated vehicles emerging in the market. While companies like Tesla and Amazon are investing heavily in developing this technology, there is still a driver deficit dominant in the United States. Fleets are struggling to find and keep qualified drivers. Less qualified drivers are coming into the trucking industry and with the introduction of mandatory ELD logging systems, several seasoned drivers are starting to leave the profession due to this new technology. The ATA TMC Show was great to get to hear from the Fleets Ex-Guard serves, and to listen to some of these growing pains from an inside perspective.
As the number of people interested in Ex-Guard grows, we are seeing an increase in Fleet Managers with experience in our product or curiosity approaching our booth. Some delighting us with stories on how their Ex-Guard has made a huge positive impact on their life. SNL Distributors came and told us about how he hit a pothole that was about 3-4 feet deep. When he pulled out of it, nothing was damaged on the truck, just the LT-325 grille guard. No fenders, lights, nothing. He drove that baby back in the yard unscathed. The LT-325 has the 25 level coverage, with a single hand latch, and lighter steel. Seeing that the amount of force this guard was able to endure and the protection it offered the truck, driver, and fleet was extremely satisfying. If this was our 11 gauge steel, I can only imagine what the 8 gauge could’ve withstood in this situation. This is exactly the stories that motivate our team.
Since Ex-Guard was the only grille guard manufacturer in attendance at the 2019 ATA TMC Show, we were able to hold a stronger presence for Grille Guards. It was an exceptional opportunity to introduce some of the latest third-party Fuel Economy testing performed on Ex-Guards. MTS Transport Fuel Economy Experts used real-life testing to yield a zero mpg change for trucks using the 00 and 25 designs and a half-gallon per 1000 miles for 50 & 95 designs. With the growth in product popularity and favorable Fuel Economy results, we were able to spark some engaging conversations that really reached the heart of our Fleet and prospective fleets concerns with introducing Ex-Guard to all trucks.
In reviewing the time that we had, which was brief, I would definitely recommend people to go to the ATA TMC Show. If you have a quality product, the ATA TMC Show is an opportunity to showcase it to people quality fleet some quality dealers. Atlanta is an awesome place, it’s friendly and relatively safe. There’s tons of access to restaurants, hotels, with Airbnb options in really decent neighborhoods. It’s a place I’d gladly visit on vacation and I look forward to going back for future shows.
DAVE EDWARDS
Southern Sales Consultant