{"id":13929,"date":"2022-06-25T10:06:59","date_gmt":"2022-06-25T08:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=13929"},"modified":"2022-06-25T10:06:59","modified_gmt":"2022-06-25T08:06:59","slug":"tires-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2022\/06\/25\/tires-16\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Smart About Smart Tires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: Wilson Logistics<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of axles means a lot of tires to manage, and smart tire systems can help.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Tires have traditionally been exceedingly difficult to manage. That began to change over a decade ago, as the first tire sensors began giving fleets and drivers rudimentary data on tire pressure (and later temperatures). Then active pressure management systems that could transmit real-time alerts when a pressure event occurred were developed.<\/span><\/p>\n

A further extension of this technology was automated tire inflation systems. These didn\u2019t just monitor tire pressure, but also could actively inflate tires in case of a leak.<\/span><\/p>\n

The use of smart-tire systems in fleets, however, has its own challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

These systems and the tire sensors that make them possible must work in a confoundingly difficult environment, enduring hellish temperatures inside tires, all sorts of weather on the outside, as well as dirt, grit, grime, vibration and impact damage. They can be damaged or even lost during tire service.<\/span><\/p>\n

And with up to 18 tires (or more) on a tractor-trailer, it doesn\u2019t take long for the amount of data coming from tire sensors to become overwhelming if it\u2019s not sliced and diced in ways that allow fleets to cull actionable data from general health and status updates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the insights into tire health and performance these systems provide have been game-changers for many fleets. Learning to manage them, and dealing effectively with the data they send, is critical for getting true value from them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Pain Points<\/span><\/h2>\n

Tires are, of course, the largest pure maintenance expense at fleets, says Gerry Mead, executive vice president of maintenance and equipment at The Hub Group, based in Oak Brook, Illinois.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest pain point I see with collecting data off of tires is ensuring that the correct sensor is assigned to the correct wheel position,\u201d Mead says. \u201cIt is the same for internal-mounted or wheel-end-mounted sensors. Getting them in the right place so you receive the right data is vital.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tire sensors can be a pain when it comes to mounting and dismounting tires, says Bruce Stockton, vice president of fleet services for Wilson Logistics in Springfield, Missouri.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the sensors would last as long as a tire, the mounting and dismounting burdens would be worth it,\u201d he says. \u201cThe style of sensors that band around the inside of the wheel are particularly cumbersome and often damaged when anyone other than our own guys are mounting and dismounting. Our tires don\u2019t go flat when at our own shops, only on the road. Then when the road service guys don\u2019t know how to address it or don\u2019t have parts, we end up having to break it down again when it gets home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shaun Sadler, senior vice president of equipment for U.S. Xpress, says he faces<\/span><\/p>\n

similar problems when the vehicle is serviced at a dealership or independent repair shop for a tire failure. When this happens, he says, it\u2019s highly unlikely that the sensor will be replaced \u2014 or even returned to the fleet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is that most dealers and even manufacturers aren\u2019t focusing on this issue enough to help us out much,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Xpress uses tire sensors without TPMS or ATIS. Sadler says that although the data from them are invaluable, they do increase the overall cost of service for mounts and dismounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"For<\/span>
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For some fleets, automatic tire inflation systems offer more peace of mind than data alone. Photo: Jim Park<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stockton would like to see an OEM-installed system that would simply alert the driver in the cab when there\u2019s a low tire and in which position. \u201cThe main point would be a reliable and dependable system \u2014 meaning that it is accurate with its readings and pinpoints which wheel position is the issue,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading the tractor tires is one thing, he says. Trailers present other challenges. \u201cWhile getting better, reading the trailer tires wirelessly is more difficult, especially when multiple trailers are usually stacked in like sardines, making a wireless TPMS read to a different tractor all the time nearly impossible,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dealing With Data<\/span><\/h2>\n

What data, and how much, fleets want to get from their smart tire systems is something that is different for each fleet. And that is a big factor in what type of system is right for your operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadler, for instance, primarily wants to see air pressure, heat, tread performance, and irregular tread wear. That\u2019s why he prefers sensors mounted in the tires over those in valve stems or on the wheel, even though they have drawbacks in terms of maintenance and replacement. Wheel sensors and valve stem sensors, he says, can only provide air pressure and, for wheel-mounted sensors, possibly heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mead says he\u2019s more concerned with proper air pressure, then how many 32nds of tread loss per mile the tires are averaging. Temperature is the least important piece of data to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo have this by position is vital, as each position is under unique pressures,\u201d he notes. \u201cJust like any sensor or incoming data stream, you want the ability to filter it down to \u2018actionable data\u2019 only.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One challenge, Mead says, is there can be two separate but related alerts that essentially are only notifications when they occur alone. But when both happen at the same time, they mean something entirely different.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the system cannot be customized and controlled, then it is not helpful and will lead to data overload,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stockton says one key piece of data he wants to see is final runout mileage, so total cost of ownership can be measured. \u201cBut data overload is a major problem with these systems and one that has to be managed. In fact, I recently eliminated a factory-installed TPMS system on our trucks because there was no validated ROI on the system,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally, all you need is the basic tire information, anyway,\u201d Sadler says. \u201cI want to see a simple mounting date, as well as mileage, and then at the end of the tire\u2019s life, a removal mileage number and date to determine which tire performs at specs the best. And we really don\u2019t need a smart wheel or tire to determine that data.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

TPMS or ATIS?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Everybody has their own preferences when it comes to tire sensors, says Jarit Cornelius, director of maintenance for Christenson Transportation, a smaller fleet with locations in Missouri and Tennessee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need a portal or a bunch of electronic information coming in telling which tire is low, or hot or flat,\u201d he says. \u201cThe truth is we\u2019re just too small \u2014 I just don\u2019t have the staff and the capability to manage all of that information effectively. We tried it out. And at the end of the day, we just had some cool technology on our trucks that we really couldn\u2019t do anything with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Cornelius knew he needed to find a system that would work for his operation. In early 2012 he found the answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I put in my trailer order that year, I decided to try out [automatic tire inflation systems] on a certain percentage of the units,\u201d he says. \u201cMy plan was to track them and benchmark tire cost and wear compared to the units without ATIS on them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the test ended a year later, Cornelius crunched the numbers and found that the tire cost on the ATIS-equipped units was over 90% less than the baseline trailers. \u201cThe tread wear was uniform without any irregular wear,\u201d he says. \u201cThey only had about 3\/32 of tread wear, total \u2014 and the casings were all in good shape.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Acting on that data, he retrofitted the remaining trailers in the fleet with ATIS.<\/span><\/p>\n

One big advantage Cornelius cites with ATIS is peace of mind for drivers. \u201cWe get guys call in with a flat tire that went down overnight,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd the first thing we do is ask them to try and air it back up. We\u2019ll walk them through the process. And in about 10 minutes, nine times out of 10 the tire is aired up to the point they can drive it to a local vendor. We can get that tire repaired and back on the road for under $100, instead of waiting hours for a service call that costs a lot more money.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cornelius says ATIS gives a return on investment is around 14 to 16 months, but the units last about 10 years in the field. And, he says, in several instances, the tread on his tires is in such good shape that the casings give out before the tires reach their pull point.<\/span><\/p>\n

A growing number of fleets are using both TPMS and ATIS, so they can get both that peace of mind and data they can use for insights.<\/span><\/p>\n

North-Carolina based tanker fleet Eagle Transport, for instance, has both on about 60% of its fleet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can identify problems before they become a catastrophic event,\u201d says Joe Phillips, Eagle\u2019s director of maintenance, noting that the systems bring different benefits to the fleet\u2019s tire management program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cATIS can help if you\u2019re on the road to get it to back to the shop,\u201d he says. \u201cTPMS is how we track tire life at all times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eagle is now looking to expand its tire management program with additional technology, such as management software integration. \u201cWe\u2019re also looking at vibration sensors, because the wheel end has the ability to collect a lot of valuable data,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd we want to collect as much data on our tires as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No fleet is the same, of course, which is why suppliers have developed a range of tire management solutions for trucking. But it is important to remember that management is the key word that makes each of these systems successful for fleets.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Smart Tires for Autonomous Trucks<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Smart<\/span>
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Smart tires and autonomous trucks: Match made in Heaven? Photo: Kodiak<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Smart tires will play a role in the ability to deploy driverless trucks. Both Bridgestone and Goodyear have teamed up with autonomous-tech companies to test smart-tire technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smart-tire tech such as tire-mounted sensors and tire pressure monitoring systems will give autonomous-truck companies real-time insights on the performance of the tires on their trucks.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, smart tire technologies can collect data and track if weight is evenly distributed among the truck wheels and axles. Weight distribution plays a critical role in vehicle dynamics, controllability and maneuverability, and thus safety and vehicle performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Predictive maintenance is also key, helping self-driving trucks to deliver on their promise of near 24\/7 operations, and tire data makes that possible. Tire-mounted sensors help avoid a fault before it happens.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data from the trucks will also help the tire makers to build more accurate predictive maintenance models and optimize future tires for these operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the autonomous-truck companies, feedback from connected tires can be fed into their machine-learning systems to improve fuel economy and overall performance, especially in severe weather and extreme road conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This article first appeared in the May 2022 issue of Heavy Duty Trucking.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0By <\/a>Jack Roberts<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: Wilson Logistics A lot of axles means a lot of tires to manage, and smart tire systems can help. Tires have traditionally been exceedingly difficult to manage. That began to change over a decade ago, as the first tire sensors began giving fleets and drivers rudimentary data on tire pressure (and later temperatures). Then…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[36],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13929"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13929"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13931,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13929\/revisions\/13931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}