Application: Goods, Regional
Benefit: Saved tire casings and time
As fleet manager for Feeser’s, a regional food service distributor in Pennsylvania, Bob Herr was aware of the safety, fuel, and cost-saving benefits associated with proper tire inflation. But with 90 vehicles in the fleet, he relied on 85 different drivers to inspect their vehicles, resulting in one flat tire per week on average. Now, with ContiConnect, Bob can see tire data for all trucks as soon as they return to the yard.
“Now I can bypass the driver and just watch the web portal as the trucks return,” says Bob. The ContiConnect yard reader station, which Bob mounted on his yard’s fuel island, transmits data from the tire sensors directly to the web portal as trucks come in range.
ContiConnect detects low pressure in 4 to 5 Feeser’s tires per week on average, allowing service staff to address the issue right away and avoid the tires going flat overnight.
Before trying ContiConnect, Bob was using a valve-mounted Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). He became frustrated as the sensors were frequently damaged when the tires scraped against a curb and caused costly tire failures. The ContiConnect tire sensors are mounted inside the tire to prevent damage and theft, and ensure the sensor can accurately detect the tire temperature and pressure without being influenced by heat from braking systems.
In the future, Bob plans to mount a screen in his workshop so mechanics can easily see which tires need maintenance when the trucks pull in. Reliable tire data, faster inspections, and easier maintenance are key benefits of the ContiConnect system for Bob Herr’s regional fleet.
“This is a great solution for my regional application, and I would definitely recommend it to others,” says Bob. “I’m saving casings and time, and I no longer have to depend on my drivers to check tire pressure.”
Bob Herr, Fleet Manager for Feeser's Food Distributors
Application: Construction
Benefit: Weekly service calls reduced to zero
ContiConnect Yard powered by Continental's Intelligent Tire, monitors all vehicles and transmits data whenever vehicles are within range of the yard reader.
When drivers are paid to deliver as many loads as possible in a ten-hour day, they don’t always stop to check their tire pressure. A family-owned and operated hauler of cement powder and fly ash faced this situation daily. Their drivers deliver 100-120 loads of powder to local concrete plants every day, returning to the yard after each delivery to reload.
With 65 trucks and 85 trailers in the fleet, the company found it impossible to ensure each driver was checking tire pressure as part of post-trip inspections. As a result, many vehicles with low tire pressure were being parked at the end of the day and left unaddressed. Vehicles often had flat tires in the morning or breakdowns on the road due to creeping air loss, resulting in one to two service calls per week on average.
After 8 months of using ContiConnect, the company has not made any tire-related roadside service calls and no longer has to pay a mechanic to perform manual tire inspections, saving the fleet time and money.
The ContiConnect yard reader station, mounted in a central location inside the fleet yard, transmits data from tire sensors in each truck tire directly to the web portal, as trucks come in range. The company’s fleet manager simply logs onto the ContiConnect web portal at the end of each day when the trucks return to the yard, and reviews the data for low-pressure warnings. ContiConnect identifies low tire pressure in two of their vehicles per week on average, which they are able to address immediately and avoid wasted time in the morning.
Because the ContiConnect web portal shows the tire pressure and temperature for each wheel position, the company no longer has to check tires manually. They have continued to outfit more of their vehicles with tire sensors to take advantage of ContiConnect monitoring.
Application: Waste Hauling
Benefit: Large reduction in tire inspection
To receive data from the tire sensors, Bill installed his ContiConnect yard reader station in the wash bay, testing not only the sensor data reliability, but also the yard reader station’s ability to stand up to moist conditions. The components performed flawlessly. “The sensors have been very accurate,” says Bill, “and the [platform] has given me tire data at my fingertips.”
Instead of manually checking each tire’s pressure every evening, Bill now logs into the ContiConnect web portal and is able to quickly identify any tires that need attention.
The company runs routes five days a week, with over 100 curbside recycling trucks, automated curbside trash trucks, frontload trash trucks, and other vehicles. They service residential customers, and local businesses like apartment complexes and restaurants. Bill was interested in how ContiConnect could enhance his tire maintenance program without adding additional work for his drivers.
As a waste hauler, Bill needed sensors that wouldn’t be damaged if tires scraped against the curb during the route. ContiConnect was a perfect fit: unlike valve-mounted systems, Continental’s sensors are mounted inside the tire to prevent damage and theft, and ensure the sensor can accurately detect the tire temperature and pressure without being influenced by heat from braking systems.
Bill Woody, fleet manager for Pride Disposal, a disposal and recycling company in Sherwood, Ore., knew tire maintenance was important. He required drivers to complete pre- and post-trip inspections on their assigned vehicle which included checking tire pressure, and hired a tire dealer to perform lot checks three times per week. Still, he spent a lot of time fixing tires.
“I have been able to spend less time checking tires and more time focusing on fixing issues where I know they exist,” says Bill. “I don’t have to rely on my drivers to check and record the right information, and I’m saving time.”
Bill Woody, Fleet Manager for Pride Disposal
Application: Cement Hauler
Benefit: Safety and cost improvement
Kenny Youngman was one of the first trial customers of the ContiConnect system. Uptime is critical for his cement-hauling fleet, which operates in a very time-sensitive industry. Vehicles cannot afford to sit roadside waiting for a tire repair.
“When we started with [ContiConnect], we found somewhere between five to ten nails a week in our tires,” explains Kenny. "It’s probably one of the most important tools in the past four or five years. We've gotten to the point where we're no longer looking at trailers not knowing which trailer [has a tire that] needs some repairs, but we go right to the one that needs help."
His fleet is also committed to safety. Kenny sees that tire monitoring has improved safety by allowing back-office personnel to receive real-time alerts before vehicles leave the fleet yard. His coworker Amanda Gutierrez gets a text message when a vehicle passes the Yard Reader and has a tire with low pressure. She immediately calls the driver to advise him to re-inflate his tire before leaving to pick up a load.
“It helps me ensure that my drivers are safe, and they’re getting there at the right time when they’re supposed to,” says Amanda.
Kenny is confident ContiConnectgets his trucks back out on the road with minimum cost since he is able to repair the tire while the truck is still in the fleet yard, helping prevent roadside breakdowns and tire damage.
“The service call alone from a person coming out to repair your tire could [cost] more than the tire itself,” says Kenny. “If you have $5,000 worth of rubber on the road, wouldn’t you want to protect it?”
Kenny Youngman, ContiConnect Trial Customer
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