Leased Mufflers Offered To Trucks

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.--Advanced Exhaust Technologies LLC (AET) is offering to lease its Liberator muffler to Class 8 truck fleet and owner/operator customers who make volume purchases.

“We think our new product will help the entire industry lower fuel costs and cushion it against volatile fluctuations in fuel prices. Our leasing terms are designed to make this new fuel-saving technology financially accessible to as many fleet operators as possible,” said Richard D. Bergesen, AET’s president and chief executive officer.

“Qualified customers can lease our new Liberator muffler for periods of 24 and 36 months,” he explained. “Leasing terms are available for relatively small purchases as well as for purchases that exceed $1 million.”

He added that “even large trucking companies with substantial resources are feeling the affects of increases in the price of diesel fuel. At current prices we think we can save fleet operators up to $3,900 per truck per year, depending on driving conditions and other variables.”

In test drives on various Class 8 truck configurations, under a wide variety of load levels and weather conditions, the patented Liberator muffler has delivered fuel economy improvements of 0.3 miles per gallon to 1.2 mpg. Most heavy trucks average between 5 mpg and 7 mpg.

The Liberator’s design represents the most significant advance in heavy truck muffler technology since the 1920s, according to Bergesen. “It dramatically reduces back pressure, enabling engines to breathe more freely, enhancing engine performance.”

The Liberator is made of stainless steel and built to ISO 9002 standards by Wellington Industries of Belleville, Mich.

Polished units cost $950. Unpolished units are priced at $900.

“We are bringing the Liberator to market at a time when high fuel prices are putting a financial strain on the transportation industry,” Bergesen said. “Since June 1999, the price of a gallon of diesel fuel has jumped from $1.07 to about $1.60. That is an increase of about 50 percent.”

AET is the only company in the heavy truck muffler industry that claims its product improves fuel economy, according to Bergesen. “It is also the only company in the industry that offers a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects to original owners,” he said.

Founded in May 1999 with headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., AET is a privately held company.

For more information, contact www.liberatormuffler.com.