LOUISVILLE, Ky. — ArvinMeritor is extending its ‘stimulus package’ promotion for its Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS), which allows customers to purchase five retrofit kits for the price of four.

The deal is now available to North American fleets through dealers until July 31, 2009. The kits themselves, as well as labour costs, can be financed through Wirth Financial.

“It makes good business sense that fleet operators install the MTIS and realize ongoing savings due to better fuel economy, improved tire wear characteristics and tire retreadability, and elimination of costs associated with manually checking tire pressures,” said Larry Burgin, vice-president and general manager, trailer products, ArvinMeritor. “Achieving an immediate 20% savings on the cost of the Meritor Tire Inflation System – that’s a significant payback in roughly 12 months or less.”

ArvinMeritor also announced expanded training opportunities for truck operators, technicians and dealers at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

A new suite of ‘blended learning’ programs have been unveiled, combining online learning, virtual classroom Webinars and on-site instruction. More than 100 free online courses are available for technicians, which can be taken at any time in the span of about 30 to 45 minutes, the company announced.

Instructor-led courses are also available, led by ArvinMeritor district managers. These are ideal for fleets, managers and technicians and provide comprehensive personalized workshops at a customer’s own site.

The Webinars are held live over the Internet, allowing the presenter to use video, sound and graphics to enhance the learning experience without having to visit a customer’s site.

For more details on the courses, visit http://training.meritorhvs.com.

Also at the Mid-America Trucking Show, ArvinMeritor introduced a new line of greaseable drivelines that boast 100,000-mile lubrication intervals and three-year, 300,000-mile warranties in linehaul service. The 100,000-mile lubrication interval is twice as long as comparable models, the company said.

The Meritor MXL (Meritor Extended Lube) drivelines will enter production this summer and available for order on new trucks or as a retrofit.

“The MXL combines the simplicity and durability of the proven RN U-joint design with the premium sealing capability of the RPL permanently lubed product,” said Joe Plomin, vice-president, truck business unit, ArvinMeritor. “We’ve set the bar higher for drivelines in terms of performance, ease of maintenance, and warranty coverage – all highly valued by the customers.”

Finally, ArvinMeritor announced that its new PlatinumShield coating, introduced in February at TMC, will be standard on the OE Meritor Q Plus LX 500 brake package for truck applications. It will be an option on Q Plus-equipped trailer axles, beginning in September, 2009, the company announced.

PlatinumShield was developed to eliminate rust-jacking, which occurs when rust forms on bare shoe metal underneath the lining, causing the lining to lift and crack.