KONTICH, Belgium (Jan. 10, 2012) — Goodyear has launched a regional trailer tire in Europe incorporating what it claims is the first commercial application of microchips embedded in truck tires.
The Goodyear Regional RHT II RFID trailer tire, in size 435/50R19.5, has an embedded microchip that allows communication with FleetOnlineSolutions, the Goodyear's web-based tire management program.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology enables anyone with a suitable scanner to identify any type of tire from a portable scanner along the sidewall of the tire. The information is then stored in electronic form and can be used in various ways, including tracking the tire throughout its life or in case of theft.
The microchip is embedded in the tire on the assembly line, Goodyear said, and is programmed with a unique code. The portable scanner makes it possible to read the size and type of tire and the unique ID number.
“The new tires offer great advantages,” said Bart van Rens, fleet manager at Ewals Cargo Care, a leading European logistics services company. “RFID technology speeds up the interview because it allows us to identify the tires quickly and accurately. The technique also allows us to reduce the problem of theft of tires on our trailers.
“Previously, we had to read each identification code consisting of six numbers that were listed on the sidewall,” Mr. van Rens said. “This takes time and we could easily make mistakes. Now, the RFID system is quick and excludes any possible errors.”
If tires are stolen, thieves often scrub the ID number from the sidewall. In the RFID tires, the chip is buried deep in the tire and cannot be removed without destroying the tire, thus thieves are beginning to avoid tires bearing the tags, Mr. van Rens added.
Ewals Cargo Care has 49 depots in 18 countries and operates 3,100 trailers and 1,200 intermodal vehicles.
For now, RFID tags provide only identification data, Goodyear said, but in the future they could be dynamic and allow monitoring of tire pressures and temperatures.
Goodyear did not say what premium it's charging for tires with the embedded RFID tags.
Tires with RFID chips are made only at Goodyear's plant in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, but Goodyear expects to begin making them at its plant in Wittlich, Germany, and extend the use of RFID technology to other types and sizes of tires.
This report appeared on the website of European Rubber Journal, a U.K.-based sister publication of Tire Business.