Buying and maintaining tires rank among the top expenses for a fleet, as they are prone to normal wear and susceptible to any hazard on the road, from nails and rocks to potholes and curbs. These are expected costs for any vehicle owner, though they can increase even higher if management lacks visibility into their tire health data, such as pressure and wear.
And tire cost per mile is in most cases on the rise, according to American Transportation Research Institute data:
Underinflation not only contributes to less fuel efficiency through higher rolling resistance, but also leaves tires more susceptible to a blowout. This could require a costly roadside service call, or worse, cause an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 622 deaths were due to tire-related crashes in 2021.
To give vehicle service providers, fleet operators and OEMs more of that much-needed visibility and actionable insights, Anyline has launched its Tire & Vehicle Analytics platform. The AI-enabled predictive platform pairs with the Vienna-based software provider’s existing Commercial Tire Tread Scanner software. Available on any camera-enabled smartphone or mobile device, the scanner captures and digitizes relevant data including tire sidewall, tread depth, and vehicle data, including tire DOT codes, vehicle identification numbers (VINs), license plates and barcodes information. The new analytic platform tracks, analyzes and correlates that data with external sources to identify issues such as dangerously worn-out tires.
A fleet’s maintenance provider can use the data to provide preventive maintenance such as reinflation, better forecast inventory needs, and identify recalls. For fleets using retreads, combining Anyline’s scanner with its predictive analytics can help fleets pinpoint the optimum pull point were the casing is still intact.
“Digitally collecting data from vehicles and tires provides huge value for individuals, auto retailers, service centers and fleet managers,” said Lukas Kinigadner, CEO and co-founder of Anyline. “Mining that data for intelligence can help predict maintenance issues, vehicle health, tire life expectancy and much more. We deliver operational and strategic recommendations directly to drivers, service technicians, and decision makers in real-time.”
Kinigadner told Fleet Maintenance that according to large U.S. tire servicers he talks with, more than a quarter of tires on the road “are dangerously worn-out.”
This is clearly a problem, but also a reason to take a closer look at your tire program.
“Fleets of vans or semi-trucks with more than a 100 vehicles could potentially save hundreds of thousands per year by avoiding tire wastage and improving fuel efficiency,” Kinigadner said.
Furthermore, shops can shave time off of tire inspections by ditching analog means and digitally scanning needed info. This also improves accuracy, as a human may make a typo maually recording data, while that is unlikely with a scanner.
Anyline said it has captured data from hundreds of millions of vehicles, and customers include PepsiCo, Cox Automotive, and Discount Tire.
Along with helping customers improve tire maintenance and tracking, Anyline envisions the Tire and Analytics platform will help fleets validate which tire brands would be best for their application.
“We can measure tire wear over time against a number of external factors such as vehicle type, driver, location and even weather conditions,” the CEO said. “Over time, fleet managers will be able to predict which makes and models of tires are more efficient on the vehicles they own.”
These insights could also help with driver performance insight, tracking fuel efficiency, and ensuring legal compliance.
