Meritor and Pressure Systems International (PSI) have announced that Maverick Transportation has spec’d the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS) by PSI to be standard on all new trailers purchased in 2012.
Maverick chose MTIS by PSI as standard equipment after realizing the safety benefits and cost advantages associated with better tire wear and fuel economy, according to company officials.
MTIS, the market leader in automatic tire inflation systems, keeps tires properly inflated which improves tire maintenance management, trailer up-time and bottom line return on investment (ROI).
“When tires are properly inflated at all times there are less ‘tire gators’ on the road and fewer roadside breakdowns,” said Craig Frohock, general manager, North American Trailer, Meritor. “It’s always rewarding when companies such as Maverick realize these benefits and safety aspects that MTIS brings to their fleets, drivers and the general public sharing the roads.”
Dean Newell, certified director of safety and vice president of safety for Maverick, explained that with the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) initiative, MTIS is even more important as an additional specification to their trailers.
“We’re serious about safety at Maverick, and always have been. With the CSA scoring and enforcement criteria, points assessed for under-inflated and flat tires can easily impact the safety score of any fleet operating in the U.S.,” said Newell, has served as Chairman of the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) Safety Management Council and was the recipient of their Safety Director of the Year Award in 2010.
“If you can avoid those instances by having your tires properly inflated all the time, it eliminates that worry. “That’s why we spec the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI on our trailers.”
Today, Maverick operates more than 1,500 flatbed, glass, and temperature controlled semi-trailers with the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI.
MTIS by PSI is a simple design that can be installed on virtually any type of trailer, Frohock said. The system adds life to tires, increases fuel efficiency and safety, maximizes recap potential, and keeps trailers on the road.
It is an automatic system with constant air pressure available when needed.
The patented ThermALERT option alerts drivers of excessive wheel end heat which helps avoid trailer fires or wheel end damage.
As fleets have increasingly seen the benefits of the ThermALERT technology, MTIS with this option now accounts for 43 percent of PSI’s production, he noted.
Maverick Transportation
Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, and operating over 1,200 units, Maverick provides OTR and dedicated service to the flatbed, glass, and temperature controlled transportation markets throughout North America.
Pressure Systems International
PSI is the world leader in automatic tire inflation systems and markets and sells its products in North America through Meritor as the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI.
Meritor
Meritor is a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. With more than a 100-year legacy of providing innovative products that offer superior performance, efficiency and reliability, the company serves commercial truck, trailer, off-highway, defense, specialty and aftermarket customers in more than 70 countries.
