PROPER TIRE INFLATION: DON’T ROLL ON LOW PRESSURE
Bendix Shares Reminders in Advance of National Tire Safety Week
AVON, Ohio – (Trailer Technician) – If you’re looking to increase the chances of tire failure, consume more fuel, and reduce the effectiveness of your truck’s safety equipment, then running on improperly inflated tires will do the trick.
We don’t recommend it.
In support of National Tire Safety Week 2022, 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.
Sponsored annually by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), National Tire Safety Week spotlights the essentials of proper tire care and maintenance. It occurs this year June 27-July 3.
“Those air disc brakes you invested in? Improperly pressurized tires can hurt their performance,” said TJ Thomas – director of marketing and customer solutions – Controls Group at Bendix. “Same goes for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), from full stability up to collision mitigation: They can’t fully deliver on their potential to enhance safety if they are riding on incorrectly inflated tires. Fuel efficiency, tire life, downtime – they’re all impacted by tire pressure on your tractors and trailers.”
Pressure Monitoring Made Easy
Pre-trip checks and inspections during breaks are good for spotting signs of rapid tire leaks, but using a gauge to measure each tire’s pressure at every stop isn’t a practical solution – and still might not alert you to slow, gradual leaks. A tire pressure monitoring system is one of the most effective safety tools for protecting tires from underinflation.
“Without a gauge, it’s unlikely that even a sharp-eyed driver can tell by looking whether a tire is properly inflated to 105 psi or underinflated at 95 psi,” said Mark Holley – director of marketing and customer solutions – Wheel-End at Bendix. “And that relatively small difference can have a big impact. Industry research has shown that just 10% underinflation can reduce fuel economy by 1.5%, and about 90% of tire blowouts are the result of underinflation, since it leads to increased stress and higher running temperatures.”
Additionally, 20% underinflation leads to an approximately 30% reduction in tire life. And on dual-tire wheel-ends, uneven pressure can cause premature wear even if there’s a difference of just 5 psi between two tires on the same wheel-end – since the lower-pressure tire will drag, while the higher-pressure tire carries a greater share of the load.
Holley noted that the SmarTire® Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) by Bendix CVS and the SmarTire® Trailer-Link™ TPMS by Bendix CVS for trailers use wheel-mounted sensors inside the tires, as opposed to exterior-mounted sensors on the valve stem. This enables SmarTire to continuously monitor both temperature and pressure, meaning the system can provide a deviation value showing the amount of overinflation or underinflation from the tire’s cold inflation pressure (CIP), automatically taking into account any increase in pressure due to temperature, and providing early alerts of tire pressure issues. Tracking a tire’s internal temperature may also help mitigate potential tire fires, since it helps alert the driver to potential wheel-end issues, such as dragging brakes.
Fleet Data and Uptime
“TPMS can also provide valuable information that enables fleets to more effectively plan maintenance and tire management,” Thomas said. “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.”
Thomas emphasized that Bendix safety technologies complement safe driving practices. No commercial vehicle safety technology replaces a skilled, alert driver exercising safe driving techniques and proactive, comprehensive driver training. Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times.
Bendix® SmarTire® TPMS and the SafetyDirect® system are part of Bendix’s ever-growing portfolio of technologies that deliver safety, vehicle performance, and efficiency, all backed by unparalleled post-sales support. Bendix lowers TCO and helps enhance highway safety across North America by helping improve areas critical to the success of fleets and owner-operators, and strengthening return on investment in advanced equipment that puts drivers behind the wheels of safer trucks.
To learn more about Bendix TPMS, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE or visit bendix.com. For deeper insight on Bendix technology and the commercial vehicle landscape through podcasts, blogs, videos, and more, visit the Knowledge Dock™ at knowledge-dock.com.
About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of Knorr-Bremse, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, energy management solutions, and air brake charging and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 4,100 people, Bendix – and its wholly owned subsidiary, R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. – is driven to deliver the best solutions for improved vehicle safety, performance, and overall operating cost. Contact us at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit bendix.com. Stay connected and informed through Bendix expert podcasts, blog posts, videos, and other resources at knowledge-dock.com. Follow Bendix on Twitter at twitter.com/Bendix_CVS. Log on and learn from the Bendix experts at brake-school.com. And to learn more about career opportunities at Bendix, visit bendix.com/careers.