Truckers
face a lot of pressure on the road. They have deadlines to meet and customers
to greet. But, that pressure can be deflated by tire problems - and that’s not
the kind of deflation truckers want or need. Under-inflation costs the trucking
industry some $2,200 per year per truck. And, that doesn’t include the lost
fuel due to rolling resistance inefficiencies. Here’s where a new technology can help.
The Aperia Halo
The
Aperia Halo is an ingenious device that attaches to the center of the truck’s
wheel Inside of it is a pump that captures energy from a pendulum that swings
inside, synchronized to the wheel’s rotation. It’s that tire rotation that
produces the pumping action that inflates the tires when needed. An internal
sensor detects tire pressure to ensure that tires are always inflated to the
proper pressure.
The
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration has previously reported that more than half of all truck
tires are underinflated, driving up maintenance costs by at least 10 percent.
Each system that’s attached to a tire is good for about 500,000 miles, meaning
that trucking companies can greatly reduce their tire-related costs.
How Tire Inflation Systems Help Save Money
Aperia
Halo isn’t the only device on the market that helps inflate tires when they’re
low. Other systems attach differently, are located behind the tire, or use the
axle as the source of the air and pressure. But, in all cases, these systems
help to reduce the regular maintenance on the trucks as they make cross-country
journeys.
Truckers
don’t have to stop to check tire pressure, they won’t suffer as many blowouts,
and they won’t be stuck on the side of the road for hours waiting for a tow
truck or replacing the tire. That means trucking companies can make more
shipments on time, save more money on overstock, and save money on additional
pay for non-productive work by truckers.
Preventing Accidents
Another
benefit of these tire pressure monitoring and autofill systems is that they
reduce the risk of accidents. When a truck is on the road, there’s always the
risk that an underinflated tire will blow out. Attorneys, like Keith Kofsky, see this kind of thing all the
time. Accidents happen, and that’s also how accident and injury lawsuits
happen. Trucking companies can save themselves potentially hundreds of
thousands, if not millions of dollars, with a simple tire-inflating device.
Disadvantages
With
all of the benefits, what’s not to love? Well, one of the disadvantages of
these systems is that they do not take air out of the tire. If tires are
inflated, and the truck’s elevation or temperature changes (as it’s traveling
through different states), the tires may end up becoming overinflated as the
PSI increases due to heat generated inside of the tire.
This
usually results in a 2 PSI increase for every 10-degree change in temperature.
Should Trucking Companies Employ This
Technology
The
cost-benefit discussion is an important one to have. But, on the whole, it’s
usually worth the additional cost. Since trucking companies spend thousands of
dollars per truck right now on tire inflation problems, upgrading the system
immediately will permanently and immediately end those additional costs.
Keith Kofsky, Esq, has
advocated for the victims of auto accidents for over 30 years. One of his goals
is to educate people to help them drive safely. You can find his helpful
articles on many websites online.