How much do you spend per month on fuel? What would 1% savings mean to your bottom line?

Proper tire inflation increases fuel economy by one percent, versus a tire that is 10 percent underinflated, according to the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC).

All applications can benefit from fuel economy improvements, because every vehicle has gas mileage. However, in long haul and regional applications especially, using fuel-efficient tires at the proper air pressure can deliver significant savings. This is because the vehicles are typically traveling more miles, and also typically traveling at higher speeds. Higher speeds generate more heat, which increases fuel consumption.

In recent fuel efficiency testing, Continental’s regional tires delivered a fuel economy of 7.26 mpg, a 6.3% fuel savings over Michelin. Using the national average of 5.91 mpg and three-year average fuel price of $3.89, a fleet could save up to $12,800 per truck annually by switching.

By combining fuel-efficient tires with proper tire pressure, you can achieve maximum cost savings on fuel, the most expensive budget line item for many fleets.

Reduce time spent on manual tire pressure checks and repairing tire issues caused by underinflation. It can take up to 20 minutes to check the tire pressure on just one 18-wheeler with a manual gauge – and it’s frequently inaccurate!

Manual pressure gauges need to be calibrated frequently in order to maintain their accuracy. The inside dual tire can be difficult to check, especially if the valve stem is not properly lined up with the outside dual wheel to allow access. Thumping a tire to check its air pressure will only identify when a tire is completely flat – it will not detect the 10 to 20 percent underinflation that starts to impact tire performance.

With digital tire monitoring, the tire pressure and temperature are already being monitored. Before leaving the fleet yard, drivers can conduct a simple visual inspection to check for tire wear issues, taking less than half the time.

Tires are the cause of more than 50% of roadside breakdowns, according to statistics compiled by Heavy Duty Trucking magazine. With a cost of approximately $800 per incident, each breakdown directly impacts your bottom line.

It also costs you time. The average road service downtime is 2.5 hours, says the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC). That equates to lost productivity, potential safety concerns for your driver, late deliveries, and other unpleasant side effects.

Many tire-related roadside breakdowns could be prevented by proper tire maintenance practices, especially inflation pressure.

All of Continental’s digital tire monitoring solutions allow your fleet to check tire pressure before vehicles leave the fleet yard, potentially eliminating a flat tire call on the side of the road.

ContiConnect also features Slow Leak Detection, an algorithm that can detect a slow leak in a particular tire over the course of several days, typically before it would be noticed by fleet personnel. Repairing tires immediately after a puncture or other slow leak is detected can ensure the tire returns to service, and also protects the tire for retreading.

Help protect your drivers and other road users.

Tires and wheels are the second leading cause of vehicle-related out-of-service violations at roadside inspections, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) annual International Roadcheck.

Improper inflation pressure also changes the tire contact patch. This affects stopping and acceleration traction and vehicle handling, thereby impacting vehicle safety. Properly maintained and performing tires aid drivers in preventing and mitigating crash situations, says the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC).

Proper tire pressure also protects your tires. As one ContiConnect customer said, “If you have $5,000 worth of rubber on the road, wouldn’t you want to protect it?... If you do it for no other reason, do it for the safety.”