LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 25, 2013) — Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. is launching ContiPressureCheck system, a tire pressure-monitoring system (TPMS) for commercial trucks, in North America after a year of fleet testing throughout the continent.
The ContiPressureCheck system—developed jointly by Continental A.G.'s Commercial Vehicle Tire, Body & Security and Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket business units—uses sensors mounted inside the tires to provide accurate temperature and pressure readings.
Alerts and warnings are displayed inside the cab, and the system can be used for tractors, trailers or in combination, Conti said at the launch of the product at the recent Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
The system is available as an aftermarket fitment only, Conti said. The cost for a 10-tire system is slightly less than $700.
"The ContiPressureCheck system saves drivers and fleets both time and money, by alerting the driver of sudden inflation deviations as well as slow air losses to the tire," said Clif Armstrong, director of marketing for truck tires, the Americas.
"By correcting these issues before the tire requires replacement, fleets and drivers can prevent vehicle downtime, extend the tread life of their tires and protect their valuable casing investment.
Proper tire inflation also reduces a tire's rolling resistance and in turn fuel consumption, Mr. Armstrong said.
"So from both a maintenance and fuel saving perspective, the investment in ContiPressureCheck reduces overall driving costs," he added.
Continental research also indicates that optimal tire inflation decreases stopping distance and optimizes vehicle control, he said.
First demonstrated at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show, the system has undergone extensive testing with fleets throughout the U.S., Conti said.
"Today, our distribution channels for this system are fully in place and we are ready to open sales of this system to our customers nationwide," Mr. Armstrong said.
The ContiPressureCheck system can be ordered directly from a Continental truck tire dealer or via the national account customer order desk. For small fleets or owner operators, ContiPressureCheck can be obtained by calling operators for Continental's emergency road service programs TrukFix, ContiFleet and TrukFix for OOIDA.
Fleets or owners installing the system need to make sure the tires they fit are equipped with the sensors, Conti noted.