Michelin Introduces Commercial Tire Monitoring System

Michelin has introduced a tire monitoring system that will enable fleet managers to monitor tire performance and reduce costs.
Michelin Americas Truck Tires introduced its eTire System in Orlando, Florida. The company says it is the first and only system of its type available for commercial trucking fleets.
“The Michelin eTire System is an integrated system that puts technology to work,” said Randy Clark, vice president of marketing, Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “Michelin is the only company to provide the technology and the integrated system necessary to make commercial truck sensors viable and beneficial for fleets. eTire has more than two years of road testing, proving its durability and functionality for fleets across North America.”
The eTire System by Michelin incorporates an InTire Sensor), sidewall- mounted SensorDock, Hand-Held or Drive-By Reader and BIB TRACK software to accurately capture and instantly report tire pressure, wheel position and maintenance information. The InTire Sensor can be attached to any brand of truck tire, allowing a fleet to monitor and track all of their tires. The information gathered is then reported in a fleet specific manner via an Internet server to enable maintenance managers to track tire costs accurately and to monitor inventories as well.
The BIB TRACK software can even account for retread costs by exchanging information with BIB TREAD, Michelin’s retread management software. The Drive-By Readers in the eTire System can immediately differentiate between inner and outer dual tires, relaying accurate information in real time to the fleet manager. Hand-Held Readers can easily read both inner and outer duals, as well. eTire can read the operating temperature inside a tire and correct the pressure reading for “cold equivalent pressure” instead of the expanded pressure occurring after a tire has traveled for a distance and heated up.
This allows precise readings and accurate pressure adjustments, as if the tire were cold. All data is in a secure server in the BIB TRACK software, not in the InTire Sensor itself. This assures that if a tire is lost, stolen or somehow damaged, the information on the tire up to that point is maintained in the database. The system also allows immediate access and tracking of the information via the Internet, with instant updates as the sensor in each tire is read.
“Although the technology is impressive, the most important aspect of the Michelin eTire System is the benefit it delivers to the fleet,” said Clark. “Crucial information, with real-time updates, allows fleet managers to spot problems early, reducing downtime and minimizing costs.”