Trucks
Peace of Mind for Waste Management Drivers
A low-pressure tire will eventually overheat, causing premature tire failure and possibly a fire or vehicle damage. By investing in a tire pressure monitoring system, drivers can experience downtime and cost decreases.
Smooth running tires assure peace of mind for drivers concerning their vehicles. Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) constantly monitor tire pressures and warn of low tire pressures. Only about 10 percent of tire-induced breakdowns are due to sudden tire damage; the remaining 90 percent start with slow leaks. However, drivers usually notice this gradual air loss too late, and more serious consequences arise such as being stranded on the road (or a bridge) with a blowout and causing a delay in their schedule. TPMS identifies these slow leaks and warns the driver in time—before the tire risks irreversible damage and disintegrates. The driver can react immediately and avoid problems on the road; inflating a tire and/or fixing a tire is less costly than buying a new one and/or repairing your vehicle.
Correctly inflated tires ensure the best vehicle handling and shortest braking distances. Monitoring helps avoid unexpected and unnecessary tire-induced vehicle downtime and the ensuing ramifications. In most cases, an investment in a TPMS will pay for itself on the very first occasion a puncture is detected, via preventing further major costs and downtime.
Major Components of TPMS
Although there are many types of TPMS on the market today, the most user friendly ones are those that have the sensors externally mounted (the sensors replace the valve stem caps rather than those which are internally installed inside the tires). There are two major components to most tire pressure monitoring systems:
Sensors—simply screw onto the valve stems, replacing the caps. Sensors continuously assess the tire pressures, and wirelessly transmit each tire’s pressure to the monitor, located in the dash area. One can even check pressures while driving down the road.
Monitor (dash-mounted)—reads up to 34 tires (up to 64 tires for tractor-trailers). Most types of monitors can either be plugged into the cigarette lighter receptacle, or they can be hard wired.
Refuse truck companies already know that more fuel is being used when they have under-inflated tires that will result in an “early death; the resulting expense is significant. The Department of Transportation Economic Analyses estimates that 37 percent of all tires on American roadways are under-inflated. Tires running low on pressure require more fuel to overcome rolling resistance, thus robbing the driver and the company of getting better gas mileage and reducing tire costs. Properly inflated tires will reduce wear and tear on tires also, cutting down on accidents caused by blow-outs, etc. In addition, low-pressure tires have decreased tire life due to the added sidewall flexing. Furthermore, low-pressure tires require greater braking distances and cause deteriorated handling and performance, meaning less safety for the driver and others on the road.
Benefits
By investing in a tire pressure monitoring system, drivers can experience less downtime and decreasing costs while extending tire life and improving performance. Because there is an increasing cost of petroleum, tires, insurance, downtime and maintenance costs, interest in tire pressure monitoring is sparking like never before. In every market, from refuse trucks, light trucks, tractor/trailers and industrial equipment, truckers are recognizing the importance of tire pressure—on fuel use, tread wear, tire life, time performance, safety and now environmentally.
The TPMS gives an audible alert warning of low tire pressure before driving becomes unsafe, giving the driver the opportunity to repair the tire before significant damage has occurred, thus minimizing cost and inconvenience. Other benefits of TPMS include:
Cost effective
Tire monitors are reliable, durable and accurate
Easily installed—no tools required
Reliable FM signal reception; wireless RF signals—no wiring required
Continuous tire pressure monitoring, even when vehicle is parked
System is portable between vehicles
Sensors mount externally on valve stems, replacing the valve stem caps
No rebalancing required
Audible and visual alerting
View current tire pressures at any time with the touch of a button
Save fuel, extend the life of your tires and make travelling safer and uncompromised by constantly monitoring its pressure levels. Tire pressure monitoring systems are the most cost-effective solution for drivers on the road.
For more information, contact Duane Sprague, President and CEO of L&S Safety Solutions (Wickenburg, AZ), at (800) 521-6820 or (928) 685-3558. Duane directs and distributes PressurePro™ to their dealers as well as to truckers, RVers, and trailer owners. Systems are also available for “drop & hook” systems, and tractor/trailer combinations with up to 64 wheels.
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Things to Consider
Alerts—TPMS can activate an audible alarm, indicate which tire air pressure has decreased significantly, and display the real-time pressures of all tires at any time, offering the drive reliability and peace of mind. No tools are required for the installation of the externally mounted sensor systems (other internal-type sensors require breaking down the tires for installation).
Casing damage—Low tire pressures lead to casing damage that causes tire failure, zipper rips and blowouts.
Heat buildup—Heat is one of the leading causes of tire failure; frequent stops, as is the case with refuse trucks, contribute to heat buildup. Under-inflation is the major cause of overheating, and contributes to:
Tire disintegration
Ply separation
Sidewall/tread breakdowns
Premature tire failure
Excessive fuel use
Decreased road safety
Fuel economy—Under-inflated tires waste more than 5 million gallons of fuel each day or approximately 2 billion gallons per year in the U.S. alone.
Convenience/safety—Externally mounted tire pressure sensors are quick, easy to use and install (no tools required); alleviates the time and effort of checking tire pressures manually. Be safer with properly inflated tires.
Protection—Be alerted to low tire pressure when you need it most: when on the road (and possibly in remote areas) and in busy traffic conditions where a tire problem could be costly and dangerous.