Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems is moving forward with launch plans for Watchman wheel-end sensor technology for trailers that operate on the vehicle area network developed by Sensata Technologies. The initial product offering will include trailer tire pressure and wheel-end temperature data that is communicated to the fleet via the trailer telematics system. It is scheduled to launch in early 2022.
Hendrickson worked with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to utilize industry standards according to established J1939 protocol, for the communication of data and fault codes for trailer wheel-end information.
“This common platform allows Hendrickson’s Watchman wheel-end sensor to be used by OEMs to provide crucial trailer data to their customers,” says Omar Fernandez, director of marketing at Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems.
According to the company, the way it works is that hubcap-mounted, battery-powered wheel-end sensors transmit wireless RF signals to the gateway module, collecting the data and acting as the trailer’s communication hub. The information will be transmitted from the gateway module to the trailer telematics device for transmission to the fleet’s back office.
Hendrickson says it is working with telematics providers to integrate data from the Watchman wheel-end sensor into their telematics solutions. Watchman wheel-end sensor technology will be an available option on TireMaax Pro and Pro-LB tire pressure control systems.
