The SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) by Bendix CVS has been added as a factory-installed option on Freightliner Trucks’ Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution models, expanding Bendix’s presence as the industry leader in OE-installed tire pressure and temperature monitoring technology.
SmarTire TPMS uses wheel-end sensors to provide drivers with real-time pressure and temperature data, along with alerts, via an in-vehicle display. Additionally, SmarTire TPMS comes standard with trailer monitoring capabilities. Once the tractor is connected to a trailer equipped with SmarTire Trailer-Link TPMS, the trailer data will be automatically displayed in the tractor, providing the benefit of monitoring all the tires on the complete tractor trailer combination. Enhanced vehicle safety, better fuel economy, extended tire life and improved compliance are among the benefits SmarTire offers fleets and drivers.
Developed by Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems (CVS) LLC, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety and braking solutions for commercial vehicles, SmarTire technology monitors the pressure and temperature of each tire to provide real-time status information to a driver or maintenance technician. The system obtains temperature and pressure readings directly from inside the tires and communicates wirelessly to an on-board receiver. Sensors mounted on the wheel inside the tire provide the most accurate data while remaining protected from external hazards.
SmarTire TPMS warns a driver of tire-related problems such as low tire pressure, extreme low tire pressure and extreme high temperature before they pose a safety hazard. Exclusive to Bendix’s TPMS is a temperature compensation feature that enables the system to provide earlier warnings by taking into consideration the changes in temperature and pressure during normal vehicle operation. The SmarTire system displays actual tire pressure and temperature for each wheel location, along with a deviation value showing the amount of over- or underinflation from each tire’s cold inflation pressure (CIP). This value represents a tire’s deviation from the target pressure, regardless of tire temperature – an important feature, since tire pressure rises when the temperature increases from usage or outside conditions. As a result, drivers and fleets can accurately maintain pressures whether a truck has been sitting idle in the shade or has been driven hundreds of miles in the sun.
“We’re proud to support Freightliner’s commitment to helping fleets and drivers keep their vehicles on the road and operating safely,” says Jon Intagliata, Product Manager for Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems at Bendix. “SmarTire’s data and alerts make it possible for fleets and drivers to address tire issues well before serious safety and operational problems arise.”
Proper tire inflation assists in fuel savings, reduces tire wear and contributes to highway safety: Tire underinflation by as little as 10% results in a 1.5% drop in fuel economy, and underinflation by 20% results in a 30% reduction in tire life. Across the trucking industry, underinflation and excessive heat are responsible for 90 percent of tire failures, and almost half of all emergency service road calls are tire-related.
The system is also sold to the aftermarket as a complete kit that includes sensors, antennae, receiver, wiring, display and instructions, providing an easy and economical retrofit for almost any commercial vehicle.
SmarTire TPMS and Bendix’s trailer solution, SmarTire Trailer-Link TPMS, are part of Bendix’s ever-growing portfolio of technologies delivering on areas critical to fleets’ success, including safety, vehicle performance, efficiency, and post-sales support. By strengthening returns on investment in equipment and technology, which helps fleets and drivers lower their total costs of vehicle ownership, Bendix drives the industry toward safer travel for everyone on the road.
