THE NEXT BIG THING?

Those big trucks hurtling down the highway burn a lot of fuel, in part because the boxy trailers they pull just aren't very aerodynamic. ATDynamics, Inc. of Hayward, Calif., won for a simple origami-like apparatus that fits to the back of most trailers, reducing drag and improving average fuel efficiency by 6%. (click below to read more)


One reason for trucks' poor fuel efficiency—they average about six miles a gallon—is drag caused by the chopped-off back of the trailer, which causes turbulence that requires the engine to work harder to maintain speed. ATDynamics TrailerTail is a lightweight, thermoplastic composite structure that channels wind currents and reduces drag. When not in use, the tail folds flat against the trailer's doors and opens automatically when the doors are closed. It can be retrofitted to existing trailers, and the company says the device will last the life of the trailer.

Andrew Smith, ATDynamics' founder and chief executive, designed the first prototype out of cardboard on his living-room floor while at Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business, and started the company with winnings from a Rice University business-plan competition. The company completed its first order in early 2011; since then, more than 20 trucking companies have outfitted their entire fleets with the device. More than 120 are using the technology.

"All the focus tends to be on the cab or even the front end," says Barry H. Jaruzelski, a senior partner at Booz & Co. and an Innovation Awards judge. "The trailer is viewed as a box, so actually doing something on that is relatively novel, though you would think obvious."