The Mudflap Myth: Why Your Pickup's Real Fuel Drain Lies Elsewhere

Truck owners chasing better mileage often eye their mudflaps first, and pulling them can trim a little drag. But new aerodynamic analysis points to a less obvious culprit: the blunt front end, open bed, and boxy cab common to most pickups do far more to fight the wind than a set of rubber flaps ever could. For owners weighing modifications purely for economy's sake, the lesson is proportion — small fixes help at the margins, but a truck's fundamental shape remains the bigger factor at the pump.

With reporting from The Drive.