Doran and DriverTech have completed a six-month development project to integrate a tire pressure monitoring system with an onboard Windows embedded computer and mobile communications system for truck and trailer fleets. The Doran 360 system and DriverTech’s TruckPC provides tire pressure data and low pressure warnings in both the cab of the truck and at fleet headquarters in real time, the companies say.
Representatives from both companies showcased the integrated system at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nev. The DriverTech TruckPC in-cab display has a graphical interface for the Doran 360 system that shows the location of each tire on a tractor-trailer combination. At a glance, the driver can see which tractor or trailer tire is low on air pressure.
Alerts are sent as messages through the DriverTech system to fleet headquarters when one of three types of conditions occur: a fast leak, where the tire drops 3 psi in less than 12 seconds; when tire pressure is 12.5 percent below a threshhold; and when pressure is 25 percent below. The alerts are specified by tire position, says Jim Samocki, general manager of Doran.
Based on studies by fleets that have implemented the Doran 360 system to manage tire pressure, fuel savings increase by up to three percent, Samocki says. By adding in savings from eliminating breakdowns and downtime, fleets typically realize a return on investment in five to 12 months, he says. The system costs about $45 to $60 a tire to install.
