Maintaining proper tire pressure is critical to good fuel economy, reduced tire life, and unscheduled downtime for all commercial vehicles, including work trucks. 

“Air carries the load,” whether it’s freight or equipment, and if tires are not properly inflated, money is left on the table in the form of lost fuel economy, premature tire replacement, and vehicle downtime. A vehicle not performing the work it was purchased for is not generating revenue for the owner and likely causing customer dissatisfaction as work is not completed on time. 

Adding TPMS is an effective countermeasure to these risks.

Protect Your Bottom Line with Proper Tire Inflation

According to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) study, the use of tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) or automatic tire inflation systems (ATIS) can improve fuel economy by approximately 1.4%. 

Fuel savings are not the only benefit here. Arguably, the number two operator or fleet cost behind fuel is tires, so maintaining tires properly can offer savings twofold.

Underinflation is always the leading cause of tires not reaching their full potential in terms of life and fuel economy. Along with fuel savings, operators and fleets can extend tire life by 10% or more by always maintaining proper cold tire pressure. This is especially important for those who utilize retreads. According to TRIB (Tire Research & Repair Information Bureau), proper inflation and following Industry Recommended Practices (IRPs) maintains casing integrity through the tire's life, which can be two or three retread cycles. 

According to TRIB, manufacturing one new heavy-duty tire takes approximately 22 gallons of oil. Since most of that oil is used in the tire casing, which is reused in the retreading process, only 7 gallons of oil are required to retread that same tire. Each time a tire is retreaded, approximately 15 gallons of oil are saved, resulting in up to millions of gallons of oil saved annually.

How TPMS Makes Fleet Maintenance Smarter

Under-inflated tires can also contribute to vehicle performance, with work not being completed as scheduled due to downtime. 

Operators or fleets conscious about maintenance will additionally benefit from TPMS with data analytics from sensors in the system delivered seamlessly to those responsible for making important decisions about in-transit repair, PM schedules, and future purchase options. 

Recognizing that fleets needed to improve their tire management program beyond just trailer tires, P.S.I. launched TireView TPMS, engineered to meet the needs of the commercial vehicle industry. With a standard signal booster in every kit, TireView offers unmatched signal reliability with many sensor types providing best-fit solutions for the fleet. All sensors are IP67-rated for dust and water intrusion.

Choosing the Right TPMS Solution for Your Fleet

It is important to consider a fleet's maintenance practices and sensor management when specifying a TPMS solution. Fleets may determine that using multiple sensor types for their tractors, trucks, and trailers may be the best way to minimize issues such as sensor loss or misplacement. 

Easy installation options can include Cap Sensors which screw on to valves stems, Flow-Thru Sensors which allow airing up tires without removal or Band Sensors which are internally mounted to the wheel/tire assembly. 

Fleets may also use Flow-Thru Brackets and Check Port (CP) Hoses on drive and trailer axles. The CP hoses bring the valve stem of any tire within easy reach and allow airing up of tires without needing a TPMS sensor or valve cap removal. This CP hose is especially convenient for dual tire applications on trailers, tractors, and other dual-tire equipped vehicles.

TireView LIVE data analytics platform is just one of many offerings in the telematics market, which provides actionable data at a glance using vehicle data that has been pushed to the Fleet’s operations, reducing reliance on the driver. Depending on the access portal or telematics system, the fleet can access a “Dashboard” for a tire health snapshot of all fleet assets. This allows maintenance or dispatch to make the best decisions about scheduling maintenance or asset deployment. 

These solutions are designed to be easily retrofittable to existing equipment, and fleets of all sizes should consider one or more of these products to improve efficiency. 

The North American Council on Freight Efficiency rates ATIS and TPMS with a high confidence rating and are “very adoptable” with an ROI of less than one year, depending on application.