The World of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

Tire pressure monitoring systems evolved from a manual system to an automated system.

Why do fleets care about tire pressure monitoring systems?

Tires are important to a fleet’s success because they affect 2 categories – safety and cost.

Safety

Tires must be in tip-top form to prevent accidents. One reason is that tires are a big factor in determining braking time.

TireRack ran an experiment between new tires and worn out tires. What was the difference in braking time? The truck with worn out tires took twice as long to brake. Yikes! Instead of risking an accident, fleets use tire pressure monitoring systems to maintain healthy tires.

Cost

Tires are the 3rd leading fleet cost.

Some people stop accounting beyond repair costs. It’s a great start but tires have a greater financial impact.

One of the biggest tire costs is wasted fuel. Flat tires cause fleets to use more fuel. And, of course, fuel cost adds up! Instead of breaking the bank on fuel, tire pressure monitoring systems are installed to ensure tires are properly inflated.

How have tire systems evolved?

evolution of TMPS

Then

Tire systems used to be a manual process. This meant drivers were supposed to regularly check their tires and report any problems.

Unfortunately, manual processes leave room for human error. Not all drivers complete regular checks. Also, not all mechanics receive or finish repair jobs. As a result, manual processes increases safety and fuel cost risks.

Now

Tire pressure monitoring systems moved towards an electronic process. This is done through either an indirect system or a direct system.

Indirect system. Indirect systems estimate tire pressures by measuring the truck’s tire revolution speed. If a tire spins at a different pace than the other tires, then a tire pressure warning is created. This system is less costly but also less accurate than a direct system.

Direct system. Direct systems, on the other hand, means installing a tire pressure monitoring device directly on the tire. This device reads and reports tire pressure. As a result, drivers can take a live look at tire readings.

Case Study: PressurePro

PressurePro is an example a direct tire pressure monitoring system. Here is a quick video rundown:

 

Some of PressurePro’s most important uses include:

In-cab displays and alerts

PressurePro looks like one of those fancy gadgets on a airplane cabin. Just like a plane’s control panel, PressurePro shows tire pressure and tire temperature. Drivers can also set up alerts if the tire pressure and temperature is outside of the normal range.

Office reports

Besides sharing data with drivers, PressurePro also sends reports to the geniuses in fleet operations. This is done by integrating PressurePro with fleet management solutions. As a result, managers can review tire patterns to make decisions on tire purchases and maintenance policies.

Results

Fleets report that PressurePro’s active tire program saves money from fewer accidents, better fuel economy, and longer lasting tires.

Links
Tire Rack: Test Tire Results

3 Technologies to Control Tire Expenses

Why is it important to control tire expenses?

Tire expenses are the third biggest expense for most fleets. In order to control expenses, fleets must consider capacity, tire pressure maintenance, and tire purchases.

Capacity

Tires can only hold so much weight. Think about table legs. If someone were to pile a mountain of heavy objects, what happens to the table? It collapses, of course.

The same concept applies to tires. For every 10% of overcapacity, tire life is reduced by about 16%. The best practice for managing tire capacity is to set rules on maximum load and to ensure tire specifications can handle such a load.

tire-blog-over-capacity

Tire Pressure Maintenance

Tire pressure maintenance is an important part of tire health. In fact, not only does it improve a tire’s life cycle, tire pressure maintenance also leads to fuel savings. Consider the following statistics.

Underinflation is the #1 cause of tire failure and leads to almost 40,000 accidents in a year. Also, due to higher rolling resistance, under-inflated tires decrease fuel efficiency. For every 10% of underinflation, there is a 1% decrease in fuel economy and a 7% decrease in tire life.

tire-blog-under-inflation

Severe over inflation, on the other hand, is also a problem. It can also cause tire failure as overinflated tires are unable to absorb shock.

Tire Purchases

Tires are becoming more expensive. Michelin, a major tire producer, announced an 8% price increase earlier this year. Michelin explained that rising cost in raw materials has translated to a higher tire bill for fleets.

3 Helpful Technologies

Many fleets are reducing tire costs by investing in helpful technologies. Some of these technologies include Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, tire maintenance software, and automated tire purchasing.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)

Recall the damaging effects of under and over inflation. Fleets developed strict check-up programs to extend tire life.

A popular tool to help extend tire life is a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. These systems are screwed onto tire valves and provide live tire pressure readings. These readings can be generated into a report that measures tire performance. Maintenance managers can then be alerted when there are spikes in tire pressure.

pressureprothumbnail

Besides sending reports back to the office, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems can also alert drivers. The system includes an in-cab display, where drivers can receive real-time readings and alerts for tire pressure and temperature changes.

Tire Maintenance Programs

Just like vehicle tracking, more and more companies are investing in tire tracking.

In fact, look at Michelin. The major tire supplier worked on transitioning into RFID technology over the past 15 years. RFIDs are attachable tags that track objects. Michelin is optimistic that the RFID chips will help fleets manage inventory and reduce inspection time.

Similar to Michelin’s RFID program, there is software that allows fleets to manage tires. For example, the Zendu Maintenance software includes a tire maintenance program. This program receives tire pressure data and automatically schedules a maintenance check-up.

Automated Tire Purchasing

Tire purchases require careful planning. Fleet managers need to find a balance between a fit with their business needs and a fit with their budget.

Fleets can find the best fit by using an automated tire purchase systems. These programs automatically trigger tire orders when current inventory is low. Tire vendors can then submit proposals. From here, purchasers can review tire specifications, cost, and warranty in order to make the best decision.

Want to learn more about these technologies?
Check out our Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Maintenance Management & Purchasing Software.

Sources:
Government Fleet: Managing Tire Expenses
Pamplin Media: What is a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Truck News: Tire Prices Set to Increase
Waste DIVE: Michelin Adds RFID Tags in Tires to Provide Fleets with Cost-Saving Data
Consumer Reports: How to Save Money When Buying Replacement Tires

Truck TPMS Made Simple with Drop & Hook

Truck TPMS Made Simple with Drop & Hook

Drop & Hook Makes Truck TPMS Simple

Finding the right truck TPMS can be a challenge when different trailers are constantly hooked up on the truck. It often creates extra work for the driver and the fleet to ensure all tires on the trailer are being properly monitored. With GoFleet’s true automatic drop & hook, the trailer sensors and the tractor are paired automatically and wirelessly through the transceiver.

Our true, automatic drop and hook system was designed for the trucking industry specifically to overcome the tire monitoring challenge. The driver does not have to do anything except the normal trailer changing procedure. The tractor recognizes the new trailer automatically as soon as the trailer is attached.

Your tractors can be paired with any trailer in your fleet and the truck TPMS will recognize it automatically. The tire pressure monitoring system sensors will send immediate alerts to the fleet manager if the tire pressure is high or low, there is a fast or slow leak and if the temperatures are high. The alerts can be sent via SMS text message, email or posted on the dashboard. This allows for proactive truck TPMS management.

The drop and hook saves your company time and money. Since your tires will be automatically monitored with the truck TPMS, your drivers will not have to manually inspect their vehicle’s tire pressure. You will also not have to rely on the driver to report any issues with their tire pressure or temperature. Receiving instant alerts will notify you of potentially dangerous and costly tire issues before they become a problem.

The best part about GoFleet’s truck TPMS add-on is that it is fully integrated with our GPS fleet management software. The fleet manager is able to proactively monitor tire pressure and temperatures in the same place they manage their fleet operations.

For more information about our true drop and hook truck TPMS add-on, Contact Us.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems: Increase Safety and Save Money

Increase Safety and Save Money With Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

Business owners are using tire pressure monitoring systems to increase vehicle safety and save money. Tire pressure monitoring systems measure both the tires’ temperature and tire pressure. They are used to increase fuel economy and prolong the life of the tires, while increasing vehicle safety with fewer tire failures on the road.

How Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Work

Tire pressure monitoring systems from GoFleet are used to alert the driver and fleet manager when the tire pressure drops under the set threshold. The tire monitoring system communicates the changes in air pressure and temperature to the fleet manager through the GoFleet GPS fleet tracking system. Robust tire pressure sensors are mounted internally to constantly measure tire temperature and tire pressure every 4 seconds.

Fleet managers can proactively manage their fleet’s tires with automatic alerts for low or high tire pressure, leakage and high temperatures. Alerts can be automatically sent to the fleet manager via email, SMS text message or displayed on the fleet management software.

GoFleet’s tire pressure monitoring systems are fully integrated with GoFleet’s GPS fleet management systems, MyGeotab and Geotab G06.

GoFleet’s tire pressure monitoring systems ensure a fleet’s tires are properly inflated at all times. This extends the life of the tires, reduces maintenance costs, increases fuel efficiency and increases vehicle safety.

Increase Fuel Efficiency

Making sure your tires are properly inflates results in the use of less fuel because there is less rolling resistance. When businesses increase fuel efficiency, they will immediately start saving money on costly fuel. With fuel costs constantly on the rise, increasing fuel efficiency in businesses with fleet operations is essential.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Increase Vehicle Safety

When your tires are inflated properly, they do not generate as much heat which reducing the risk of catastrophic tire failure. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Statistical Investigation On Tire Pressure Maintenance, tires that are only a few psi off from recommendations from the manufactures can affect the vehicle’s stopping and handling distance. Businesses no longer have to rely on their drivers to perform manual tire pressure inspections “whenever they have time”. GoFleet’s real-time tire pressure monitoring systems provides immediate warnings of tire pressure and temperature issues. Taking care of the issue immediately can prevent dangerous tire issues when your drivers are on the road.

Adding Tire Monitoring To Your GPS Fleet Tracking System Saves You Money

Tire Monitoring Add-On to GPS Fleet Tracking System Saves Money

 

Did you know that tires
are actually the largest contributor
to the operating costs of your fleet? When you add-on tire monitoring system
with a GoFleet GPS fleet tracking system, you will have reliable, accurate and
real-time tire pressure monitoring on your vehicles. This system also
monitors your tire temperatures.

When your fleet has
properly inflated tires, you will save
on fuel costs and maintenance. It will also increases your vehicles’
safety.

How
Does Tire
Monitoring Work?

Valor uses a patented
TPMS solution to monitor the air
pressure and air temperature of your tires in real-time using robust
sensors that are installed internally. If you use trucks and trailers, they are
paired automatically and wirelessly using an innovative drop & hook
solution
. This will save you both money and time as it gets your trucks back on the
road safely.

Tire
Monitoring Features

  • Real-Time
    Monitoring:
    Every 4 seconds the robust sensors measure the
    temperature and
    tire pressure on your vehicles.
  • Alerts:
    Management is alerted automatically by SMS or email when there are any
    issues
    with tire pressure, leakage, or high temperatures.
  • Automatic
    Drop & Hook:
    This was designed for the trucking industry specifically to overcome some of the tire monitoring challenges. Your trucks and trailers are paired automatically and wirelessly.
  • Fleet
    System Integration:
    The tire monitoring system is seamlessly integrated
    with GoFleet’s Geotab G06 GPS tracking system. This enables mangers
    to proactively manage their fleet’s tires using the GoFleet MyGeotab software.  

Benefits
Of Tire
Monitoring

  • Improved
    Productivity:
    There is no need for monitoring the tire
    pressure manually.
    You will receive automatic updates alerting you of potentially
    dangerous and
    costly tire issues.
  • Extended
    Tire Life:
    Real-time tire monitoring will ensure all of your
    tires are inflated
    properly, which will extend the life of the tires and increase safety.
  • Savings:
    When your tires are inflated properly, you will reduce your fuel costs
    and maintenance
    costs.

Contact GoFleet today to find out more information about adding tire monitoring to your GPS fleet tracking system.

 

True, Automatic Drop and Hook

Constant drop and hook is a very common practice in the trucking industry. It has always been a challenge when a new trailer is hooked up to make sure all the tires on this new trailer are being monitored without extra work for the fleet and driver.

Other companies either do not have drop-and-hook capability or they require time-consuming manual programming. In some cases all sensors in a certain number of trucks have to be pre-registered into each cab display unit, or only a few trucks can interchange trailers among them. They are not true, automatic “drop & hook”.

The only true drop and hook TPMS solution, is this one.

This innovative drop and hook solution has been designed specifically for the trucking industry to overcome this commonly faced challenge; it is completely wireless and automatic.

You don’t have to do anything other than your regular trailer changing procedure. The tractor will automatically recognize the new trailer once the trailer is hooked up with the tractor; all the sensors in the trailer will pair with the tractor automatically through the transceiver.

TPMS automatic drop and hook technology

A tractor can go with any trailer in your fleet and our TPMS will automatically recognize the trailer and all its tire sensors.

TPMS automatic drop and hook technology

A trailer can go with any tractor in your fleet and together with all its tire sensors, will be automatically recognized by the tractor.

automatic drop and hook technology

More info: Real-Time Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)