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Overview of the Industry

Whilst the under-inflation of tyres is the single biggest cause of excessive tyre-wear, the operating cost of truck tyres is the second most expensive item from ay trucking company, after diesel.

Driving a loaded truck on under-inflated or flat tyres causes substantial heat build-up and distortion of the profile, which destroys a tyre completely; not just the tread, but the side-walls and the carcass – the shreds of tyres found along side roads are testimony to this. An under-inflated tyre also increases drag and consequently excessive fuel consumption.

When a ‘flat’ occurs on a side-by-side dual tyre configuration, the good tyre then bears the load of both, causing unwarranted wear. If this condition persists, the two tyres bulge and rub against each other causing tremendous heat build-up in both tyres – the result of course, is the destruction of both; a costly puncture not to mention the down-time of the vehicle.

Globally, it is quite common to see shredded tyre debris on the highways and byways. These large chunks of rubber pose danger to not only the truck itself or other road-users, but to the environment. The repercussions from a single tyre shred could inflict substantial financial damage and impact on company image. The millions of bits of tyre fragments and discarded casings have a detrimental impact on the environment – 75% of all roadside ‘flats’ are preceded by a slow leak.

A single bus accident highlights the need to protect human life. The vast amount of revenue spent to encourage tourism, further accentuates that need to protect traveller visiting our country from abroad, whilst travelling in buses with potentially hazardous and unprotected tyres.
 
Any tyre manufacturer will confirm that regular checking of tyre pressures is the single most important aspect to obtaining optimum tyre life and lower costs per kilometre.
Now, for the first time, an accurate and almost instantaneous stock – take and valuation of a company’s tyres can be obtained with the NTS.

Fuel wasted due to the under-inflation of tyres will be saved, directly improving bottom line profits.
 
Most truckers will agree that it is not possible to check all tyres on each vehicle on a daily basis, therefore trucks can and do leave on journeys with unchecked, over- or under-inflated tyres – the NTS monitors pressure every 15 seconds. Knowledge of the exact air pressure of each tyre of the truck as it enters the yard, saves a vast amount of time and labour during turnaround as only those tyres that the NTS has indicated as being incorrectly inflated need to be attended to.

The NTS digitally monitors tyre pressure accurate to 99.5%. The accuracy of most analogue gauges can vary by as much as 60%, resulting in dangerous and unacceptable inaccurate readings. These analogue gauges render regular and diligent checking of tyres futile.

The NTS is self-powered and self-checking and thus a hassle-free device that provides multiple benefits. With the current price of fuel and tyres, the NTS can save truck operators large amounts of money in fuel, tyre costs, down-time and increase productivity whilst simultaneously providing information necessary for the prevention of tyre related accidents, losses and/or hi-jackings.

The information provided by the NTS in digital format is invaluable in assisting management to be proactive in preventing and rectifying unnecessary losses. The NTS makes informed, efficient and cost effective decisions pertaining to the feasibility of retreading fleet tyres.

Benefits include:

  • Avoids costly tyre and brake problems
  • Prevents run-flats
  • Saves on down-time
  • Prevents tyre theft
  • Improves on safety
  • Saves on labour
  • Obtains more kilometres from tyres
  • Increases life of tyre and casing
  • Obtains many more retreads
  • Gives the driver peace of mind
  • Cargo delivered on-time
  • Improves bottom line profits
  • Tracks tyres from ‘Cradle to Grave’
  • Protects the environment