The load-carrying capability of a tire is critically linked to the inflation pressure. Fleet operators will generally select a particular “target pressure” for their trucks based on the unique load, operating, and environmental conditions in which they operate.

If not properly inflated, the useful tire life, as well as safety is compromised. Tires are often improperly inflated; the act of tire pressure maintenance is labor and time intensive. An 18-wheeled vehicle can take from 20-30 minutes to check all of the tires and inflate perhaps two or three tires that may be low on air. Thus, new approaches and technologies have been developed for the commercial motor vehicle market to help improve tire maintenance practices, including various types of tire pressure monitoring systems.

Key observations:

• Tire-related costs are the single largest maintenance cost item for commercial vehicle fleet operators.  
• For the average fleet operator in the U.S. improper tire inflation increases the annual procurement costs for both new and retreaded tires by about 10-13%.
• For a typical TL or LTL operator, improper tire inflation increases the total operating costs by about $750 annually per tractor-trailer combination.
• The cost associated with routine tire pressure maintenance, combined with the increased costs due to poor inflation, arguably represents the total costs that could be addressed (that is reduced) by tire pressure monitoring systems.

Article Source:  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration/U.S. Dept. of Transportation.  

Thanks again for the PressurePro system! It saved us a bunch of money and kept us safe. I checked all of our tires just before leaving the campground we had been at, and then drove to the office to check out. At the office, the alarm went off and the tire’s pressure was dropping fast. Turns out there was a big fencing staple in the tire. We were able to remove the tire right there and then take it two blocks away to repair the puncture.

I have to admit that without PressurePro, I most likely would have started driving after checkout, having already performed a walk-around the campsite. That would have put us on hill-country roads with no shoulders to change a tire. That tire would probably had disintegrated, but we were able to save it…and perhaps us too! Thanks, L. Lawrence.

PressurePro has added several improvements to their current product line, and has introduced new products to their Truck line also. Notably, the addition of RS232 communications as well as an upper pressure alert on all Monitors is now a standard feature. The upper alert is variable; it is set at the factory to alert at 24% high, but can be manually set at various settings from 10% to 45% under/over the set point. There are also two lower alerts: one at 12.5% and a second alert at 25% below the initial set point. All Monitors with RS232 capability can also display temperature when used with a tire management software program.

The new Intelligent Products have just recently been introduced, offering integration with several leaders in telematics. These allow PressurePro users (drop and hook fleets in particular) the ability to monitor tire pressures on up to 64 tires at a time (a cab and three trailers for instance), both in cab or remote, while also giving them the ability to easily and quickly drop and grab trailers as needed. The capability to monitor and read tire pressure on trailers, transfer this information via the trailer/tractor power lines, and read all tire information in the cab or back to an office management system has been asked for in the market for years; PressrePro is the first to bring this advanced system to market at cost effective pricing.

Recently a truck jack knifed on the highway very close to the off-ramp we were going to take. It was determined that one of the tires had a blow-out, causing the driver to apply the brakes, which resulted in the jack knife. Traffic was stopped for hours. Most “blowouts” are not really blowouts, but happen because a tire may have picked up a nail the day before causing a slow leak. Then the tire eventually overheated, finally resultilng in a blowout.

Of course, some blowouts are caused because the tire hit something in the raod, or the tire was old and came apart. But with the PressurePro tire pressure monitoring system, the driver would have been alerted the day before the low-pressure tire, and the tire could have been fixed or replaced before costly damage occurred. PressurePro truly is great peace of mind!  Pat M.  www.TirePressureMonitor.com

Tire upkeep can boost safety and fuel economy. As stated in MSNBC.com at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12517107/

“One in every three cars has a significantly underflated tire; 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries occur every year as a result of low tire pressure-related crashes.” Higher temperatures in the summer also increase the stress on vehicle tires. Additionally, “You can iimprove your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure” the U.S. Department of Energy estimates.

Obviously, tire pressure monitoring is a must–it’s really all about maintaining air pressure to get the best wear, fuel economy and performance out of your tires.

Doran Manufacturing has come out with their own TPMS system, called the Doran 360. They are no longer a Distributor for PressurePro, although they may still have some left-over stock.

Word has it that that Doran is being sued for Patent Infringement and Breach of Contract by the PressurePro company. I would be leary of buying any new product such as this, especially when there are legal issues involved.  Important Note: Doran never did manufacture PressurePro, nor does it manufacture its new product, the Doran 360, which is actually manufactured in China.  Fred M.

The long-awaited PressurePro TPMS motorcycle version (Monitor and two Sensors) is expected to be out in September/October 2009. Check www.TirePressureMonitor.com to order a system when it becomes available.

Breakdown! The 2nd most common cause of tire failures accounts for 26% of commercial vehicle breakdowns. Only about 15% of tire-induced breakdowns are due to sudden tire damage; the remaining 85% start with slow leaks. However, drivers usually notice this gradual air loss too late, and more serious consequences arise.

PressurePro identifies these slow leaks and warns the driver in time–before the tire risks irreversible damage. In most cases, PressurePro will pay for itself on the very first occasion a puncture is detected, and prevents further major costs or downtime. It can also be integrated into telematics and fleet management systems to enable remote tire pressure checks on fleets from the main headquarters.

Smooth running tires assure peace of mind for drivers and passengers. The PressurePro tire pressure monitoring system offers constantly monitoring of tire pressures every 7 seconds on the tractor, trailer, coach, bus etc.

A study of vehicle fleets has shown that every second commercial vehicle tire is driven at more than 10% under the correct inflation pressure. This results in increased rolling resistance, leading to higher fuel consumption. In fact, under-inflated tires decrease a vehicle’s average MPG by as much as 3.3%!

A new client of ours, “Radar Roy” purchased our tire pressure monitoring system for his Renegade Motorhome for his vacation trip to Sturgis a few months ago. Roy called us several days into his trip saying that the PressurePro system saved the day by reporting low tire pressure in a rear dual tire. On further inspection, he found a six inch nail in the tire and it was losing pressure fast!

He was very grateful, saying that by having PressurePro, it saved him the expense of having lost a tire and having his rig towed, not to mention the time it would have taken to get it repaired.

Another successful “save” by TirePressureMonitor.com

TPMS is now available for trucking fleets. PressurePro has introduced the World’s first fully automatic system made for fleets. The new “Drop and Hook” system provides continuous tire pressure monitoring for fleets of all sizes and applications. While maintaining PressurePro’s market-leading benefits of reliability, durability, ease of use and simple installation, the new Drop and Hook Monitor was designed to add simplicity to multi-tractor fleets. Offering in-cab and/or remote monitoring for tractors and trailers, plus the capability to integrate to current or future telematics systems, PressurePro remains the best source for the most advanced TPMS solutions, worldwide. www.TirePressureMonitor.com