BAT RF Launches Automated CV Tyre Management System in the UK

A computerised tyre management system developed in the US by BAT RF is now being launched in the UK market. The system brings together a series of active RF (radio frequency) components to provide truck and bus fleets with real-time data for tyre inflation, fuel consumption and asset identification. All data can be viewed in real time through the BAT RF website or integrated into existing fleet management software.

A survey carried out in mid-July by BAT RF UK with a large UK fleet operator found that 44 per cent of all tyres were under inflated by more than five per cent, which has a significant detrimental effect on tyre life and fuel consumption. The survey also found that 64 per cent of dual tyres on tractor units were more than five per cent out of balance. This results in one tyre running hotter than the other on the same axle and eventually failing. Initial indications are that many UK truck and bus fleets are facing similar challenges in monitoring and managing tyre pressures cost effectively.

The spiralling cost of fuel in the UK increases the need to enhance data management using the best technology available. Initial return on investment calculations, proposed by the company, suggest the BAT RF system could have a payback time in the UK of less than 12 months. An added advantage of the BAT RF system is that it has been designed with the operator in mind. The air pressure system can be retro-fitted in a few minutes without having to cut into the vehicle’s electrical system, and there is a proven battery life of up to seven years.

Mark Ainsworth, General Manager of BAT RF UK, says that return on investment calculations are based on conservative estimates of 1.5 per cent fuel savings being achievable through correctly inflated tyres.