While National Tire Safety Week is only recognized between June 27 and July 3, we took it upon ourselves here at FE to remind you that in order to properly maintain truck safety equipment, minimize tire failure, and maximize fuel economy, frequent tire inspections should be a regular practice for fleets year round.
Keeping each tire fully inflated, however, can feel like a full-time job. Due to impact with foreign objects, temperature change and inconsistent wear, it can be difficult to keep track of which tires are ready to roll and which ones could use a little attention.
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix) aims to remind North America’s fleets and owner-operators just how much tire pressure matters to safety on the road. While it’s important for drivers to inspect their trucks prior to a trip and throughout a shift, even the most trained professionals will have a difficult time spotting slow leaks or under inflated tires.
Industry findings show that fuel economy drops by around 1.5% on tires that are under inflated by just 10%. Low pressure tires also make up for 90% of blown out tires, Bendix noted. To mitigate potential hazards and ensure suitable fleet performance, properly maintained tire pressure should be at the top of every checklist.
“TPMS can also provide valuable information that enables fleets to more effectively plan maintenance and tire management,” said TJ Thomas, director of marketing and customer solutions, Bendix.
Through the use of wheel mounted sensors inside the tires, Bendix’s SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) continuously monitors pressure and temperature of each tire to ensure optimal operation and provides the driver with necessary alerts regarding pressure fluctuation as soon as it occurs.
“With a tool like SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS, for instance, you can analyze TPMS information in near real time, and use the information to optimize scheduling already planned, lowering your total cost of ownership (TCO)–to say nothing of helping to avoid the hassle and additional expense that comes with a tire failure on the road.”
