ORLANDO, Fla. — TireStamp has launched a new tire pressure management system for trailers.

TireVigil InTow addresses the fact trailer tires are generally the worst maintained tires in a fleet and account for about 75% of en-route tire failures. InTow will work much like TireStamp’s current tire management systems, reading data from existing tire sensors and then reformatting that information into data that can be communicated to a fleet manager through the company’s own telematics system.

TireStamp does not manufacture tire sensors or telematics systems, but instead it uses them along with its own online servers to provide fleet managers with a way to monitor their tire pressures “anytime, anywhere.”

“The TireVigil servers convert hot tire pressures to cold inflation pressure, analyze the data and then store it,” explained Peggy Fisher, president of TireStamp. “An alerting system and a wealth of invaluable reports, charts and graphs that monitor, measure and manage tires has been created to provide fleets with insightful information they need to manage their tire maintenance while avoiding information overload.”

To be compatible with TireStamp’s TireVigil InTow, tire sensors must read temperatures as well as inflation pressures and the telematics system must have GPS capabilities. InTow monitors trailer tire pressures when a trailer is attached to a tractor and also when untethered. When the trailer is unhooked, the system draws its power from a battery pack. It goes into “sleep mode” to save power and wakes up at whatever intervals the fleet specifies.

“TireVigil InTow is designed to work with trailer tracking telematics systems and monitors trailer tires whether the trailer is connected to the tractor or whether it is dropped in a yard for long periods of time,” explained Fisher at the Technology and Maintenance Council meetings here this week. “When the trailer is hooked to a tractor and the ignition and trailer lights are turned on, TireVigil InTowtransmits tire pressure and temperature and vehicle mileage data every hour back to the TireVigil server.”

The server calculates whether the tires are inflated within a pre-set acceptable range, which is determined by the fleet. If not, a notification is sent to the fleet manager. Fisher explained the system can help fleets improve efficiencies. For instance, it can alert a fleet manager when an untethered trailer has a flat tire. The fleet then can avoid wasting a driver’s time by sending him to the trailer before the tire is repaired. She also said a fleet can ultimately avoid having drivers check tire pressures during the pre-trip, since all tire pressures can be viewed with the click of a mouse.

“This is a vital tool for thousands of fleets that aren’t able to check their trailer tire pressures regularly,” said Fisher. The system also warns of unsafe tire temperatures, which could indicate a potential bearing failure or brake problem.

TireVigil InTow is a subscription-based system that costs about US$5 per month or $50 per year for each trailer. TireStamp touts a payback period of 18 to 24 months and says a savings of $500 per trailer each year is typically realized by fleets. For more information, visit www.tirestamp.com