T IRE TAC TI C S
Tires are one of the largest expenses for
commercial fl eets, and many sources consider
them the top maintenance cost. Like many
other areas of the transportation industry, tires
are benefi ting from new, advanced technology
that can help companies reduce downtime and
save money.
One major advancement in recent years is
the development of digital tire monitoring technology,
which eff ectively eliminates the need
for manual tire pressure checks.
30 Fleet Maintenance | March 2018
Why monitor tire pressure
and temperature?
On average, 34 percent of fl eet tires are
underinfl ated, according to data collected
by Continental. Tires typically lose up to 2
percent of their air pressure every month.
Worn valve stems and temperature changes
can increase the amount of pressure loss, as
can nail holes and other tire damage from
demanding applications such as waste hauling.
According to Continental’s Research and
Development team, fl eets should check their
tire pressure at least once a week to help
extend the life of their tires – but daily would
be even better.
A tire that is underinfl ated by as little as 2
percent can exhibit irregular wear and other
tire issues. A properly infl ated tire experiences
a 1 percent increase in fuel effi ciency, 15
percent longer tread life and 20 percent longer
casing life, versus a tire that is just 10 percent
underinfl ated. According to the Technology
& Maintenance Council of the American
Trucking Association (ATA), improper tire
infl ation increases total tire-related costs by
approximately $600 to $800 annually per
tractor-trailer combination.
» A tire-mounted sensor is adhered to
the inner liner of a tire, and delivers tire
pressure and temperature data wirelessly
to the vehicle or fleet terminal.
Photo courtesy of Continental
Underinfl ated tires are also a leading
cause of tire failure on the road. When a tire
is underinfl ated, the sidewall fl exes signifi -
cantly during rotation, causing it to build up
heat and weaken the tire. Monitoring the tire
temperature is a key metric to help warn of an
impending tire blowout, which could lead to
immediate costs from roadside service, time
lost and late deliveries, as well as danger to the
vehicle driver and others on the road.
In short, if you want to increase safety and
save money on your tire program in both the
short term and the long term, the key is monitoring
infl ation and temperature.
Types of monitoring
systems available
Why is tire infl ation so hard to monitor? Well,
manual pressure checks are time-consuming.
Reaching the air valve of the inside dual tire
can sometimes be nearly impossible. Drivers
may not get paid for the time spent performing
pre-trip inspections, increasing pressure
to fi nish quickly.
The case for digital
tire monitoring
Tire pressure and temperature tracking
through digital tire monitoring can help
reduce tire costs and increase uptime.
By Michelle Reinhart
HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,
DIGITAL SOLUTIONS, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TIRES
THE AMERICAS, CONTINENTAL
Continental Commercial Vehicle Tires (continental-truck.
com) is one of the largest manufacturers of truck, bus
and commercial specialty tires worldwide, developing pioneering
technologies to make fleets safer, more efficient
and more connected. With innovative tire technology and
digital fleet solutions, Continental optimizes tire life cycle
management to help companies achieve their lowest
overall driving cost. Reinhart is responsible for managing
Digital Solutions, which includes the ContiPressureCheck
tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), ContiConnect digital
tire monitoring for fleets, telematics partnerships and
intelligent tire applications.
» The tire-mounted sensors on Continental’s
digital tire monitoring solutions deliver
tire pressure and temperature data
wirelessly to either an onboard control
unit in the ContiPressureCheck system,
or a reader station mounted in the fleet
terminal with ContiConnect. The data can
also be viewed in a third-party telematics
system such as Zonar or PeopleNet.
Image courtesy of Continental
Improper tire inflation
increases total tirerelated
costs by
approximately $600 to
$800 annually per tractortrailer
combination.
/continental-truck.com
/continental-truck.com