New from Doran Manufacturing is the 360 SmartLink tire pressure monitoring system, designed specifically for truck fleets with drop and hook trailer operations.
The system has a large LCD screen with digital display mounted in the tractor. It continuously monitors tire pressure and temperature data through radio frequency signals transmitted from wireless sensors that are screwed-on to the valve stems in place of the tire valve stem caps.
Tire pressure information on the trailer tires is sent to a trailer-mounted receiver/transmitter that collects and transfers the data to the cab display. When the tractor is hooked to a new trailer, the driver uses a simple one-button operation to delete the previous trailer and add the new trailer to have its tires monitored during the trip.
SmartLink allows tire pressures to be accurately checked within seconds, said Doran's Chris Nau. This minimizes labor costs and errors associated with manually checking each tire with a gauge.
Visual and audible messages alert the driver when problems with the tire pressure develop. These provide the specific tire location and pressure level so that pressure problems can be addressed to eliminate preventable costly breakdowns and repairs, he said. A high temperature warning helps prevent damage caused by excessive heat.
Installed in about one hour, SmartLink works with either traditional dual-wheel configurations or wide-base single tire applications.
“The SmartLink system meets the needs of drop and hook fleets by helping to maximize tire life, optimize fuel efficiency, and minimize labor costs,” said the company's Jim Samocki. “It can provide an estimated payback in less than nine months per rig, based on driving 100,000 miles annually.”
He noted that industry research has shown that tires underinflated by 10% lose up to 12% of their tread life. At 20% underinflation, tread life loss is nearly 23%.
Nearly 83% of tire problems begin with low tire pressure,which causes premature tire wear and increased operating costs, said Samocki. “The Doran 360SL can help alleviate these problems while improving the bottom-line profit and enhancing the overall safety for an entire fleet.”
