Pressure Systems International, which produces the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS), is celebrating five years as a SmartWay Transport Partnership shipper and a manufacturer of a SmartWay-endorsed technology. Automatic tire inflation systems, including MTIS, are recognized by SmartWay as a technology that saves fuel or uses fuel more efficiently and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.
Automatic tire inflation systems monitor and continually adjust the level of pressurized air to tires, maintaining proper tire pressure even when the truck is moving. This technology can extend tire life by 8%. Installing an automatic tire inflation system on the truck drive and trailer axles can save more than $200 a year in tire replacement costs and tire pressure inspection time. Automatic tire inflation systems can reduce fuel consumption by 100-plus gallons a year for a typical combination truck, resulting in lower annual fuel costs and the elimination of over one metric ton of greenhouse gas emissions.
SmartWay has a cost calculator at www.epa.gov/smartway/transport/calculators/index.htm that can be used by vehicle operators to compare costs with various SmartWay-endorsed technologies including automatic tire inflation systems, using different values for fuel use, fuel costs, and other critical factors. Low-interest loans are available to fleets and owner-operators that use SmartWay-approved products.