Myth: Driving With the Tailgate Down Saves Fuel
It seems logical that a closed tailgate acts like a big sail, catching the wind and slowing you down. For years, truck owners have dropped their tailgates or replaced them with nets to “improve aerodynamics.” However, wind tunnel testing has proven the exact opposite. A closed tailgate actually creates a “bubble” of trapped air in the bed, which acts as a cushion that allows the rest of the wind to flow smoothly over the truck.
When you drop the tailgate, you break that air bubble and create a chaotic vortex of turbulence behind the cab. This increased drag actually lowers your fuel economy. Engineers spend thousands of hours refining the shape of a truck’s bed to maximize efficiency, and they designed it to be driven with the tailgate up.
