Three Fleets Concerned with Safety Specify MTIS™ by PSI with ThermALERT™ for Trailers
San Antonio, TX (November 29, 2010) Three safety conscious fleets, Old Dominion Freight Lines, Inc., Christner Trucking and Sunstate Carriers, have adopted the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS™) by PSI with ThermALERT™ as standard equipment for their trailers. The ThermALERT™ technology, developed in 2006 by PSI in conjunction with ArvinMeritor, warns vehicle operators of excessive heat buildup in the wheel end before it results in wheel loss, wheel-end failures, and possibly dangerous and costly trailer fires. Trucking fleets recognize the safety and potential cost savings benefits of MTIS™ with ThermALERT™, and trailer manufacturers increasingly include this feature on trailers specified with automatic tire inflation systems.
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. – Tom Newby C D M/E, Director of Maintenance
"An inherent concern in an LTL operation is getting proper air to the rear axle, on the rear pup. When this does not occur, we can have episodes of high heat, blown inside tires and at times a fire related to dragging brakes. Units equipped with ThermALERT™ not only give us a better feeling about overheated wheel bearing notification to the driver, but additional confidence that the driver will be notified prior to a fire episode due to dragging brakes."
John Christner Trucking – Steve Dickson, Vice President Maintenance
"We have over 800 trailers equipped with the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI, most of which include the ThermALERT™ option. We have lowered our tire cost and eliminated wheel end run offs caused by premature wheel bearing failures on the trailers equipped with MTIS and the ThermALERT option. We have years of experience with this system and consider it a proven product, I would not spec a trailer today without this option."
Sunstate Carriers- Jack Arvan, Director of Maintenance:
"I've been a maintenance manager of large over-the-road fleets for over 35 years. During this time I've learned that maintaining the correct tire pressure in both the tractor and trailer tires is essential to achieving maximum tire mileage and reduced tire cost per mile. I first purchased the PSI automatic tire inflation system about 10 years ago and I've found it to be the perfect solution to maintaining the correct pressure even when a tire has a small leak. ThermALERT™ is a great addition to the PSI system and it ensures that our drivers are alerted should the axle-end temperature exceed the manufacturer’s spec. There are other systems which we have tested but I found they don't offer the reliability of the PSI ThermALERT™ system
Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. – Craig M. Bennett, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing
"Tire inflation systems have become very popular options on Utility trailers, especially with the fleets; in fact, 60% of the Utility trailers built this year have had tire inflation systems. The PSI system is by far the most popular system and Utility made ThermALERT™ a standard feature on all PSI systems installed on Utility trailers. The safety enhancements and maintenance controlling advantages of this system including ThermALERT™ make it a wise choice of fleets in today’s competitive trucking environment."
Great Dane Trailers – Brandie Fuller, Vice President Marketing
“The Meritor Automatic Tire Inflation System by PSI with ThermALERT™ is a very popular option with our customers. Great Dane was the first to supply automatic tire inflation by PSI way back in 1995, and has been installing this safety item with MTIS by PSI, by customer request, since it was invented in 2006. ThermALERT™ has been known to prevent heat related wheel end problems with its early warning capabilities.”
Pressure Systems International presents their Athena Award each year to the trailer manufacturer that has does the most to promote the use of the ThermALERT™ technology. Both Utility and Great Dane have won this award in the past as has Wabash National.
PSI is the world leader in automatic tire inflation systems and markets and sells its product through ArvinMeritor as the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI.
For more information about Pressure Systems International visit their website www.psi-atis.com ArvinMeritor (www.arvinmeritor.com) is one of the industry leaders in supplying technologically advanced axle-braking and suspension systems solutions as original equipment for medium and heavy-duty trucks, trailers, buses, coaches and specialty vehicles worldwide.
