Environmental Leader

Maverick Transportation has chosen the Meritor Tire Inflation System by Pressure Systems International as a standard fuel-saving measure on all new trailers purchased in 2012.

MTIS is an automatic system that supplies air pressure to the tires whenever needed to keep them fully inflated. PSI says this improve tire maintenance management, trailer up-time and return on investment. It says that MTIS is a simple design that can be installed on virtually any type of trailer.

According to the EPA, truck tires can lose up to 2 psi of pressure per month. But while keeping tires properly inflated improves fuel efficiency, frequent maintenance stops can cut down on a truck’s productivity.

Automatic tire inflation systems get around this problem by monitoring and continually adjusting tire pressure, even while the truck is moving. The EPA estimates that such systems can improve fuel economy by nearly 1 percent, saving $380 in fuel costs per year for a typical long-haul combination truck.

MTIS also includes a ThermAlert option that alerts drivers of excessive wheel end heat, helping to avoid trailer fires and wheel end damage. Dean Newell, certified director of safety and vice president of safety for Maverick, said that the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Compliance, Safety and Accountability initiative has made it even more important to keep tires properly inflated.

Maverick already operates more than 1,500 flatbed, glass, and temperature controlled semi-trailers with the Meritor system installed.

For more on automatic tire inflation systems and other fuel-efficiency measures for ground freight fleets, see the latest issue of EL Insights.

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