Maintenance of proper tire pressure offers increased economy and safety on the road

Portland, Ore., September 24, 2012 – Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has launched new tire pressure monitoring technology as an aftermarket offering for its Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses commercial vehicles. Introduced during the 2012 Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, the new system allows real-time tire performance monitoring for better fuel economy and safety.

The new system provides air pressure and tire air temperature data while driving or stationary enabling drivers to preemptively address tire issues before they occur. The system reports per axle high- and low-pressure and rapid pressure loss alerts that can dramatically increase a driver’s ability to avoid dangerous situations. Customizable axle settings also allow driver notification of other issues including hanging brake calipers, bearing failures and individual tire defects.

“We’re excited to be offering this new system for our Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses. It’s always a great benefit to be able to offer drivers and fleets more information about the performance of their vehicles,” said Todd Biggs, director of aftermarket parts and service marketing for Daimler Trucks North America. “Blown tires are most often caused by under- or over-inflation. Running the proper air pressure prolongs the life of the tire, increases fuel economy and improves safety through fewer on-road tire failures.”

The exterior sensors simply screw on to standard tire valve stems and communicate wirelessly every two minutes with a central control unit. The system is easily added to any 12-volt power system and is offered in six- and ten-sensor kits for quick tractor set up, with additional sets of two available for monitoring up to 34 different tires at a time.

A trailer exchange feature synchronizes the control module to the tire sensors on a new trailer automatically, facilitating quick and simple trailer exchanges with no loss of data reporting. The exterior fully-sealed sensors feature extremely durable brass threading and military-grade five-to-seven year lithium-cadmium batteries. The system is backed by DTNA’s one-year warranty and support at over 800 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Visit the Freightliner Team Run Smart blog to read more, or visit your nearest Freightliner, Western Star. or Thomas Built Bus dealer.

About Daimler Trucks North America

Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer