Trimble unveils TPMS for truck fleets

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (Aug. 8, 2013) — Trimble Navigation Ltd. has introduced the Trimble TirePulse Tire Monitoring System to help fleet managers reduce maintenance costs, increase overall fleet productivity and promote site safety.

As part of Trimble's Connected Site portfolio, the monitoring system wirelessly reports tire temperature and pressure data from the jobsite to Trimble's VisionLink fleet, asset and site productivity management system.

Automatic, real-time tire pressure and high-temperature alerts are sent to fleet managers so site supervisors can schedule preventative tire maintenance to extend the life of tires, increase fuel efficiency and avoid dangerous blowouts, the company said.

The Trimble TP920 Industrial Tire Sensor in the tire valve stem and a Trimble SNM940 Connected Site Gateway for communications provide information that is automatically relayed back to the office for analysis by the fleet manager, the company said.

VisionLink automatically alerts the fleet manager or site foreman when a tire experiences a 20-percent drop in pressure and provides a high-temperature alert to indicate that jobsite conditions are likely to accelerate tire breakdown.

"Preventative maintenance is more cost effective than a machine going down suddenly with a blown tire. But with equipment moving around so much from site to site, fleet managers struggle to stay ahead of the game," said Julian Dann, business area director for machine control.

"TirePulse is priced for installation across the entire fleet of on- and off-road machine tires, regardless of make, model or manufacturer. Increased wear or breakdown can be reported and acted upon proactively. The system can often pay for itself by preventing just one blowout."

VisionLink version 2.8 and Trimble TirePulse Tire Monitoring System are available through the Trimble SITECH Technology Dealer channel in North America.

Sunnyvale-based Trimble Navigation said it develops and applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government more productive.