Automatic Tire Inflators

These devices are great as long as they are working properly.
Tires get over and under inflated all the time. Even changes in season will cause the cold pressure to be too high or low, thus checking the pressure in a pretrip is very important.
Most of the time that you see blowouts on the road it is due to tire pressures that are too low. The low pressure causes the tire to get too hot and it de-laminates, causing the tread/cap to come off. A good automatic system will keep this from happening.

I pulled a trailer with super singles with one of these systems 2000 miles. With tires that had several slow leaks. I tried to have the company have them fixed before I pulled it, but was pressured to do it anyway.(I was fresh back to OTR at the time)
When I would start the truck in the morning I would wait 10 min before pulling out of my space. This would let the tires inflate.
When I got to my main terminal they changed the tires. 2 of the tires had several large bolts in them and without the system they would not have gone 10 miles.
Instead they held together fine and maintained pressure for the trip.

A tire that is inflated properly will last much longer, it will get better fuel economy, and it will have a much much lower chance of blowing out on the road and having you sitting for hours waiting for road service.

So yes, I like these systems.

 

This was just a trailer system. Not sure of the brand, all of the trailers that used super singles in our fleet had them.
I waited 10 min because that was how long it took the light on the trailer to go out. The light showed when the system was adding air to the tires.
2000 miles takes 3 days and part of a 4th day.
i have never been compensated while sitting on the road waiting for road service. If you have a blow out you are legally required to stop. Not limp to a shop. The road call itself costs more than a tire, and takes at minimum a few hours. In a bad location it can take 4+ hours.
I would not run a tractor or trailer with super singles without one of these systems.

 

I've used Tire-Maxx. Never had a problem with them. I've picked up trailers with "flat" tires...rolled the trailer a little bit and then sat and idled for a while. Tire aired up and off I went.

The only problem I've seen with them is when one tire on a dual goes flat, usually so does the other.

 

heh i worked for werner and at one point pulled for dollar general, all of our trailers with the tire pressure monitoring systems were...so new that they still had basically brand new tires on them...

 

Road cost rates vary. I've paid as much as $300 just for the call out then add the tire cost!

I loved the inflation system. It has saved time from a break down, inflated totally flat tires, kept tires inflated with as stated before bolts, nails and cuts in them and helped the fuel mileage by keeping the recommended pressure and it saves me time from having to stick those 8 on the trailer with a tire guage!

One downfall of the system is the seals. They can't handle the miles put on them and start to leak around the stem that comes out of the axle. This results in "down time" from having to wait for that set of tires to come up to pressure and when the trailer is finally gotten to a shop. It only takes about 10 minutes to replace them but they need to be engineered for a longer lasting life and as some auto manufactures have done, an "estimated life time!" Yes I know a GOOD engineer can design a system that could last a life time but there is no "down the road income" off of a good system!

I can't wait to see how you would do the drive axle and steering tires with this kind of system but the military has one but from all the guys I've talked to about them the same thing comes out. Yes, they are great in the field and in combat situations but on asphalt smooth roads they pretty much don't balance well on the tires and has a poor ride and the tire life is not so good.

I have 32 years experience and am a Techie type. I love anything new that comes out and love to be the Beta tester when I can. This system when I heard about it almost 12 years ago I couldn't wait to see and use. It's the "cats meow" in saving money for a trucker and it also lowers a safety issue as low air pressure is the main reason for extreme blowouts that can endanger lives.

I just can't wait to see the next generation of the system especially for the tractor! That's going to be an engineers nightmare!

Good Luck
Rollover

 

most of the chassis owned by UPRR has PSI systems on the 48'/53' chassis. When they are properly maintained, they work great, have drastically cut down on blow outs.

The key is properly maintained, the one's we deal with, the drivers know more about the systems then the railroad mechanics do, regardless they are all abused and only work half the time.