How Monitoring Solutions and Tire Inflation Systems Can Improve Uptime

Monitoring solutions and automatic inflation systems can not only check tires faster, but also keep trucks on the road longer.

By Jake Martin

Though most fleets have strong pre-check practices, there are many solutions in the transportation industry that can help speed these pre-checks up and run diagnostics on trucks and trailers, whether they are parked or on the road. Saving time on pre-checks can help these trucks get on the road faster and ultimately help fleets maximize their opportunity for profits. Being able to monitor these trucks, whether on the road or in the yard, can help prevent costly failures that result in financial loss for companies. There is a wide range of solutions to help with precheck and monitoring, including automatic tire inflation systems (ATIS), tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), and telematics systems.

ATIS Can Help Trucks Stay on the Road

ATIS can not only save time in pre-check but also on the road. Most ATIS systems have a warning light that indicates to the driver when the system is active. During pre-check, if the light is on, this indicates to the driver that the system is building pressure and ensuring that the tires are properly inflated. This feature doubles as a monitoring device while the truck is on the road. If the light is active, it indicates to the driver that he or she has a tire with low pressure to which air is being added. This alerts the driver to pull over or get to a shop where the tire can be serviced.

Some ATIS systems also come equipped with wheel-end temperature monitoring. While this may not save a fleet on pre-check time, it certainly could alert a driver or team to an overheating wheel end, possibly saving the fleet from a wheel end failure, wheel loss, or even a trailer fire. This could possibly save a fleet more than $30,000 from one prevented event.

Not only does ATIS help save pre-check time and keep tires and wheel ends safer on the road, but it also provides other benefits, such as improved fuel economy and tread wear. According to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study, ATIS increases fuel economy by an average of 1.4%. Under-inflation also results in increased and uneven treadwear. By maintaining tire pressure at all times, ATIS can extend tire life by 10%. According to the Tire Research & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB), proper inflation maintains casing integrity for retreading, as well. Ultimately, this provides fleets with increased profit not only from saved time but also from more longevity in their tires.

Real-Time Tire Pressure Monitoring Solutions

Fleets can use TPMS devices to show drivers’ real-time tire pressure and temperature. Though the system does not inflate tires, it can save time on a pre-check by showing the driver’s tire pressures before they get on the road and alerting a driver to pressure and temperature anomalies as they are driving. Again, this gives drivers the time necessary to pull over before any further damage is done to a tire or wheel end.

Telematics systems and dashboards can allow larger fleets to track and monitor their assets in one place. Telematics systems can not only show pressure and temperature anomalies as a truck goes down the road but can also help monitor assets within the yard, helping ensure that the equipment hitting the road is in proper condition before it leaves the yard.

Some telematics systems also have GPS capabilities. This can help fleets find trouble areas within their routes or even help drill down to a certain point where an event begins to occur. For example, suppose a truck left a maintenance shop and, down the road, started experiencing higher wheel-end temperatures. That information allows a fleet to investigate the issue and track back to a shop where a maintenance mishap may have happened. This retrievable information will enable fleets to employ best maintenance practices and provide further training.

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