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Freight Wing Awarded U.S. Department of Energy Grant to Allow 50% Cost-Share on Fuel Saving Technology

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 12:00 CST

SEATTLE, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Freight Wing, Inc., an engineering company focusing on improving fuel efficiency for the trucking industry, today announced that the company has received a $250,000 Inventions and Innovation grant from the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The funding will allow Freight Wing to offer trucking fleets 50 percent cost-share trials of the company's fuel saving aerodynamic attachments for semi-trailers.

"With today's fuel prices, our fleet trials produce a return on investment in less than 50,000 miles of operation, said Sean Graham, President, Freight Wing, Inc. "This program presents a great opportunity for fleets to prove the technology for themselves and gain a competitive advantage."

Freight Wing's goal for the trial program is to help provide relief as the trucking industry copes with high fuel costs, while reducing emissions and U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Trucking fleets will be able to evaluate Freight Wing's Belly Faring(TM) and Gap Fairing(TM) products first hand, which streamline the undercarriage and front face of standard semi-trailers. In Society of Automotive Engineers and Technology and Maintenance Council (SAE/TMC) J1321 standardized tests, conducted by the Transportation Research Center, the fairings demonstrated a 6% fuel savings. According to the U.S. Census Bureau Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey, Class 8 trucks use 18 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, representing 12 percent of the fuel consumption of the United States. A 6% savings could potentially reduce the trucking industry's fuel consumption by over one billion gallons annually.

Whole Foods Markets, the world's leading retailer of natural and organic foods, recently completed a demonstration of the trial program at its Munster, Indiana distribution center. Their Midwest fleet of twenty refrigerated trailers was outfitted with Freight Wing's Belly Fairing product.

"It only took three days to outfit our fleet with the Freight Wings; painlessly to our operation," said Steve Burse, Whole Food's Facility Team Leader. "This is a great product of innovation and will allow us to exceed our core values towards the environment." Burse further stated that, "savings were recognized immediately." Yearly savings for Whole Foods are projected to be 16,900 gallons based on 2,582,000 miles, which equates to $42,200 at $2.50 a gallon.

Additionally, Whole Foods will prevent approximately 180 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere annually by using Freight Wing aerodynamics. Legacy Environmental, coordinators for the DOE South Shore Clean Cities Program, is working with Whole Foods to implement and monitor a comprehensive efficiency strategy. Carl Lisek, Partner at Legacy Environmental, said "this is a rare win-win scenario for fleets like Whole Foods to save money and help the environment." Whole Foods is also participating in the EPA's Smartway Transport Initiative. Freight Wing products can help fleets qualify for the initiative, which creates valuable economic partnerships while aiming to reduce U.S. oil consumption by 150 millions barrels annually.

About Freight Wing, Inc.

Freight Wing Inc. is a design and engineering company focused on improving the fuel efficiency of the trucking industry. Developed through U.S. Department of Energy support, the company's aerodynamic attachments have been proven through SAE/TMC standardized tests to reduce the fuel consumption of a loaded tractor-trailer by six percent. The company is privately held and is based in Seattle, Wash. For more information, call 1-866-464-WING or visit http://www.freightwing.com/.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo is available upon request. Media contacts: Sean Graham - President, Freight Wing Inc. (206) 769-7880 sean@freightwing.com Karissa Raymond - Freight Wing PR Manager (585) 301-2917 kdr@rochester.rr.com

Freight Wing, Inc.

CONTACT: Sean Graham, President, +1-206-769-7880, sean@freightwing.com,or Karissa Raymond, PR Manager, +1-585-301-2917, kdr@rochester.rr.com, both ofFreight Wing, Inc.

Web site: http://www.freightwing.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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