NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas Inc. will provide its commercial tire monitoring system at select Pilot Co. travel centers.
The collaboration leverages Bridgestone Fleet Care mobility solutions and Pilot Co.'s network of travel centers to provide more convenient, frequent and actionable fleet tire intelligence, Bridgestone said.
The initial trial phase will begin this summer with a rollout of the IntelliTire tire pressure monitoring technology at 200 Pilot and Flying J locations.
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Each router currently being installed in the fuel canopies of select Pilot and Flying J travel centers is linked to the Bridgestone tire pressure monitoring solution, IntelliTire, and transmits real-time tire data in two minutes or less from trucks and buses to fleet managers.
IntelliTire provides a software application to allow fleet operators to proactively address specific tire issues and mitigate unplanned maintenance, reducing downtime and improving driver safety, Bridgestone said.
Fleets using this technology will have access to data such as tire inflation pressure and temperature, enabling them to continually monitor the health of each tire throughout its lifecycle, the company said.
Fleets can also use the Bridgestone service event management application, REACH, to make preventative maintenance, roadside assistance and other vehicle service requests by connecting drivers, fleet dispatch, service centers and technicians under one digital platform. A subscription and SaaS agreement is required for the REACH program.
"Physical, on-the-ground touchpoints are critical elements to the success of digital, data-driven fleet solutions, and together they enable synergies to improve mobility," Chris Ripani, president, commercial tire group, Bridgestone Americas, said.
"With a robust footprint and strong fleet relationships, Pilot Co. is the perfect partner to help us develop a connected network that is designed to allow our shared customers to minimize downtime, save on costs and improve driver safety now and in the future."
Bridgestone said the collaboration with Pilot allows both companies to expand their service offerings and support the growing need for evolving technology solutions.
This program adds to Pilot's bundle of fleet solutions, which provides trucking companies with full-service financial, maintenance and fuel packages.
"With the safety of our customers in mind, we are leveraging our network of Pilot and Flying J travel centers to help deliver IntelliTire technology to the road — making it easy for fleets and drivers to maintain their trucks and minimize downtime during routine fuel stops," Pilot CEO Shameek Konar said.
"This project is part of our larger focus to add new technologies and services to make road travel better, safer and more efficient for our guests."
Pilot Co. has a network to more than 800 retail and fueling locations.
