Fleets run on fuel and tires, these being the most expensive assets that need special care and attention. Their ineffective handling could quickly hamper productivity and profitability. Tires are the second-largest operating cost driver for most fleets. As fleet owners constantly seek possibilities for reducing operating costs, they cannot overlook the maintenance of their tires.

Managing tires made easier

Unchecked tire costs negatively impact the cost-effectiveness of freight businesses. At the same time, keeping track of tire inventory and conditions is very difficult for carrier or passenger vehicle owners, irrespective of their fleet size and vehicle type. It requires recording axle-wise tire allocation, calculating miles traveled by each tire, and identifying maintenance requirements. The biggest challenge is to calculate the actual expenses incurred on tire sustenance, that is, the tire cost per mile.

Tire Management Systems (TMS) help in optimizing fleet performance beyond just knowing the tire pressure and temperature. The software records details and alerts including maintenance of a tire inventory, knowing the tire pressure and temperature, and preventing mishaps that happen due to incorrect pressure or temperature abnormalities.

The primary reason why organizations implement fleet management software is that manual management of the tire inventory becomes difficult beyond a level. In absence of inventory management, they have no record about which tire is allocated to which vehicle. Additionally, crucial information such as the kilometers traveled by the vehicle after the tire’s allocation becomes tough to record. In absence of a proper system, knowing which tires have been replaced, re-treaded, or unstable are difficult to monitor. The result is the inability to identify the money spent on tire-related expenses.

In an interview with Guy Walenga, the tire engineering manager with Bridgestone-Firestone’s North American Commercial Products division states “A tire only works as well as it is maintained. It’s only as good as the application it’s designed for. Eventually, every tire gives up its life. But it just doesn’t fail. Bad things happen and when they do, a tire becomes an expensive tattletale as to how good your maintenance program is.” This explains how useful these tire management systems are to improve performance and lengthen a tire’s lifespan.

Benefits of Tire Management and TPMS

The modules designed in a tire management system allow maintaining an inventory of tires. The lifecycle of the tire can be mapped out. This starts from the time a tire is added to stock, its allocation to the vehicle, and monitoring the kilometers traveled after being assigned to a vehicle. Tire pressure and temperature monitoring are a part of the TPMS. Reports and alerts are generated when the pressure or temperature shows irregularities. Live pressure and temperature details can be accessed at all times.

Fleet owners can inspect the tires through the portal and identify the tires that need repair, re-treading and the unstable as well as the good ones. Expenses can be tracked at all times and the cost can be optimized. The additional benefits of tire management software include:

1. Improves efficiency:

Tire Management Systems maintain the ideal pressure, shape, and temperature of tires which prevents premature tire wear. It also ensures economical utilization of fuel and considerably reduces delivery timelines to enhance efficiency.

2. Helps you stay informed:

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) eliminate speculations as it warns about existing or impending problems in a specific tire. Depending upon the size and miles traveled by the vehicle, you can mount it with a Direct, Indirect, or Active TPMS to avoid accidents by detecting low pressure and high-temperature conditions.

3. Reduces Total Cost of Ownership (TCO):

A well-implemented TPMS prevents unplanned downtime by warning you. This system avoids equipment damage and cuts down replacement costs in repairable cases.

4. Maintains inventory:

The software system generates axle-wise reports of your fleet with details of the date of installation, and miles traveled so you can plan inventory procurement. You can also get an insight into the tire conditions and consider them for retreading to save costs.

5. Enhances safety:

Under or over-inflated tires could be hazardous. Sensor-based TMS ensures vehicle and driver safety with features such as automatic inflation and pressure maintenance.

Way Forward:

Tires manufacturers are adapting their products to match the digital framework of passenger and carrier vehicles. With the advent of digital tires or ones that are smart, electrical, and intelligent, the demand for automotive TPMS is steadily increasing. It is estimated to reach US$18.5 Billion by 2025, as stated in the Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics. The development of universal TPMS sensors and integrated direct TPMS is reported as emerging industry trends for 2021. New-generation TPMS will enable the vehicles of the future equipped with smart tires, cloud technology, and autonomous driving capabilities.