Truck bed covers are a great addition to almost any pickup truck. They provide added protection from the elements, help keep items secure and add a sense of style to a vehicle.
But do truck bed covers increase gas mileage? The answer is a bit complicated but in short, yes, they can improve gas mileage to some extent.
To understand how truck bed covers can improve fuel efficiency, it’s important to consider how air resistance works. When air passes over the surface of an object, it creates drag or resistance.
This drag increases with the speed of the vehicle, so trucks that travel at higher speeds will experience more aerodynamic drag than those that travel at lower speeds. Truck bed covers help to reduce this drag by providing a smoother surface for air to pass over.
The amount of aerodynamic drag reduction provided by a truck bed cover depends on its design and the type of material used. Hard tonneau covers typically provide more aerodynamic benefits than soft tonneau covers due to their more streamlined shapes and harder surfaces which allow air to pass over them more easily. In addition, some materials are better at reducing drag than others; vinyl or aluminum tend to be better choices than canvas or cloth.
Aside from providing aerodynamic benefits, truck bed covers also help with fuel efficiency in other ways. By covering up the cargo area of your truck, you create an enclosed space that reduces wind turbulence and helps keep items secure during transport. This reduces weight and prevents items from shifting around which can reduce fuel consumption.
In conclusion, while they won’t drastically improve gas mileage on their own, truck bed covers can still provide some fuel savings when used correctly. By reducing drag and providing an enclosed space for cargo, they can help you get more miles out of every gallon of gasoline.
