SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Utility trailers specd with automatic tire inflation systems will now come equipped with Meritors Tire Inflation System and ThermALERT.

The tire inflation system helps maintain proper inflation pressures while ThermALERT detects increased wheel-end temperatures and brings it to the attention of the driver. The driver can then avoid potential risks such as wheel-off situations or wheel-end failures.

Customers who spec Utility trailers with the Meritor tire inflation system will now receive ThemALERT at no extra cost, Utility has announced.

Utility gives their customers the most value for their dollars spent on trailer equipment and adding additional safety items like ThermALERT helps us do that, said Craig Bennett, senior vice-president of sales and marketing with Utility. We recognize that having technology on our trailers that can reduce the incidents of trailer fires or wheel loss for our customers offers them increased value.

ArvinMeritor and PSI developed ThermALERT after a customer asked if it would be possible to provide early warning of excessive heat, which could cause trailer fires or wheel-offs if undetected.

We discussed this request and found a way to incorporate heat sensing technology with our standard automatic tire inflation system, explained Frank Sonzala, executive vice-president with PSI. The patented result gives any fleet customer the full benefits of our constant tire pressure monitoring and inflation technology with heat sensing warning capabilities. Now Utility Trailers has made that technology a no-charge standard when fleets specify the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI.