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Even More Untruths about Inflating Your Tires with Nitrogen

On November 1, 2012, in Nitrogen in Tires Myths, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, by allisonmreilly
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nitrogen tire inflationEven with mass communication as powerful as the Internet, it’s still possible (and perhaps much easier than ever) to disseminate misinformation and untruths. The topic of nitrogen tire inflation is no exception to this, and we’re committed to busting myths and eliminating the untruths that circulate online, even if we have to bust certain myths more than once and really drive home a few key concepts. Here are some old, and new, untruths about nitrogen-filled tires, and what the truth really is.

If you have a nitrogen-filled tire that needs air and you top off with regular air, you’ve negated any of the benefits you had gained. (Because so few places have nitrogen equipment, you’ll often find yourself seeking out a regular air pump at a gas station.)

Absolutely not true. It’s not as if topping off an air-filled tire with nitrogen benefits your tire like a tire filled 100 percent with nitrogen. Granted, topping off a nitrogen-filled tire with air isn’t the best, but you don’t negate all the benefits. Just because it’s harder to top off with nitrogen doesn’t mean that nitrogen tire inflation isn’t worthwhile.

A while ago, I replaced the air in my tires with nitrogen at a cost of $20. Now I’ve noticed that I’m getting about 40 miles less per tank of gas. Can nitrogen cause a drop in gas mileage?

Anyone who says that with nitrogen tire inflation, you don’t have to worry about tire pressure ever again, is lying. Nitrogen tire inflation maintains proper tire pressure for a longer period of time, but it doesn’t keep your tires properly inflated forever. It’s not the nitrogen that ruins your gas mileage, its the underinflated tires. You still have to check them regularly, even if it’s just to make sure you don’t have a leak. As the myth says, tires that are underinflated will diminish your fuel efficiency.

The other argument for nitrogen over air is that oxygen within normal air causes ‘oxidation’ within the tire. However, I haven’t seen any concrete evidence as to what oxidation really is or why its such a bad thing.

Oxidation is the interaction between oxygen molecules and other elements. It’s what causes an apple to turn brown, unopened food to spoil after a long period of time on the shelf, metal to rust, and rubber (such as the rubber in tires) to deteriorate. If any of those examples don’t count as concrete evidence, than I don’t know what does. Just because we typically call it rust or rotting doesn’t mean that oxidation doesn’t exist or is some fancy scientific principle that’s too difficult for normal people to understand.

The advantage of nitrogen being more stable and less prone to changes in pressure due to heat in the tires seems of little benefit to average drivers.

Not true. Sure, normal drivers aren’t driving under the extreme conditions that NASCAR drivers and airplane pilots do. Both use nitrogen-filled tires on a regular basis, and are right to do so because there are much more extreme temperature changes than in daily life. However, just because the temperature changes aren’t extreme doesn’t mean that they don’t happen in daily life, and it doesn’t mean that those less extreme changes don’t make a difference in handling and tire pressure. Since nitrogen better handles these changes, it means that a driver will get more accurate readings of his/her tire pressure, and will less likely overinflate/underinflate their tires unnecessarily. More stability also means a safer tire, one that is less likely to suffer a blowout.

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Why Nitrogen is Great for Proper Tire Pressure

On September 20, 2012, in Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Proper Tire Pressure, Tire Care, by allisonmreilly
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nitrogen tiresWe can all agree that drivers need to check their tire pressure regularly in order to ensure proper tire pressure and tire safety. Nitrogen tire inflation is never to be considered replacement for checking tire pressure at least once a month. However, this need would only exist, and this practice wouldn’t be necessary if tires didn’t leak, which leads us today to discuss how tires leak and the biggest sources of these leaks.

If your tire pressure is low, then at least one of three things are happening:

  1. A leak. Most tire leaks are the result of a hole or puncture, faulty valve, a porous or corroded wheel, or even a poor fit of the tire to the rim.
  2. Permeation. Permeation is the normal process by which the air in a tire bleeds through the tire’s body or carcass. It is typical for an air-filled tire to lose 1-2 pounds per square inch of pressure every month through normal permeation.
  3. Temperature Change. All gases expand and contract with temperature. If you live in an area that experiences dramatic temperature changes, you will have to adjust your tire pressure accordingly. Typically you will only have to adjust your tire pressure “up”, adding pressure as ambient temperatures decrease. Count on losing about 2% of your total tire pressure for every 10 degrees in temperature reduction (which can easily take place between daytime and nighttime, mind you).

Granted, most tire pressure loss can be resolved by replacing the tires if they’ve been punctured or have a faulty valve stem and by ensuring that they are properly fitted to the rim of your car. However, this doesn’t eliminate all possible leaks. It’s not as if fixing those leaks will mean that you never have to worry about your tire pressure again. We point this out because it’s been argued that nitrogen tire inflation doesn’t work because by fixing the leaks, you fix most of the tire pressure loss. Therefore, you don’t need nitrogen.

Nitrogen Tire Inflation Maintains Proper Tire Pressure for a Longer Period of Time

However, that argument doesn’t disprove the fact that nitrogen tires maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time. The argument doesn’t disprove that nitrogen tires are great against the other two conditions that cause low tire pressure. No, nitrogen won’t help you if you have a puncture in your tire, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t help at all.

First of all, permeation happens no matter what. It’s the process of a vapor, gas, or liquid penetrating through a solid. It’s why our groceries have a shelf life. Before product is opened, we don’t want oxygen getting in. We don’t want oxygen getting in because oxygen is a very reactive element, and will cause food to go bad if its exposed long enough. However, if product sits in our pantries long enough, long after that shelf date, it won’t be good even if it was never opened because oxygen is still slowly getting in through permeation. Permeation also happens with tires, and it’s why we lose tire pressure over time, even in the absence of leaks, faulty valves, and poor fitting. And, guess what? Nitrogen permeates slower than regular air! Tires lose 1 to 2 psi per month when filled with air, while nitrogen tires will take over six months to lose that same amount of pressure. Permeation decreases tire pressure, and nitrogen substantially slows that process.

Second of all, since nitrogen is less reactive to temperature changes than oxygen and water vapor (both of which are in the air you use to fill your tires), it helps to maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time. This is why the airline industry and NASCAR have used nitrogen tire inflation for decades; it prevents their tires from blowing out under the extreme temperature changes. As stated, we lose 2% of our tire pressure with every 10 degree drop in temperature. That easily takes place between morning and night, as, for example, it’s supposed to happen today in St. Louis and it happened yesterday in St. Louis. Sure, you’re not driving 200 miles per hour or flying a jumbo jet, but the planet is still spinning and the weather is still changing, so your tire pressure is changing with it. Don’t believe what Bankrate.com argues on this, if you can even understand the paragraph that tries to argue against this.

Overall, your tires will lose pressure over time. If there was a way to prevent this from happening all together, then we wouldn’t need to fill them up regularly or to check the pressure from time to time. However, that’s not the case, which means that tires lose pressure, and anything that can be done to retain that pressure is a good thing. Nitrogen tire inflation is one of those things.

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Guess What? Air Isn’t Free Anymore. Nitrogen Tires a Better Deal.

On August 9, 2012, in Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Proper Tire Pressure, by allisonmreilly
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compressed air nitrogen tire inflationOne of the biggest gripes about nitrogen tire inflation is that air is free, so why pay for something that you can get for free? However, it turns out that’s an outdated notion, as in some places, consumers have to pay anywhere from $.50 to $2.00 just to use the air compressor. Granted, in states like California, consumers can get air for free if they buy gas, but in most states, such a law doesn’t exist. This means, in most places, this gripe about nitrogen tire inflation is completely moot.

Since in most places you have to pay for both compressed air and nitrogen tire inflation, then consider it a comparison of product instead of a comparison on price. Much like a comparison of cheap shoes versus expensive shoes, or a cheap restaurant versus an expensive restaurant, you’re looking at much more than the dollars. You then have to consider if paying a little bit more for nitrogen tires provides more benefit and value than regular air.

But, Air is Already 78% Nitrogen

Yes, but that’s one of the biggest misunderstandings of nitrogen tires. It’s presumed that nitrogen is used because nitrogen is so special. However, the main reason why nitrogen is used is because the other 22% of air is so harmful for tires, primarily the oxygen and the water vapor. Both oxygen and water vapor are much more receptive to temperature changes, causing tire pressure to fluctuate. This means, if you don’t check your tire pressure when your tires are cool, such as when you pull into a gas station to fill up, you could be getting an inaccurate reading of your tire pressure. So, you’re filling up and you think you might be adding needed pressure, when in fact you could be overinflating them. On the other hand, if you do a reading and see that your tire is already overinflated, you could be releasing tire pressure from a tire that was already at proper tire pressure. Whether your tire is overinflated or underinflated, both conditions negatively impact fuel efficiency and tire life.

 Checking Tire Pressure Regularly will Do the Same Thing

We certainly don’t recommend nitrogen tire inflation as a substitute for checking tire pressure regularly, but when you consider that 85% of people don’t know how to properly inflate their tires, what good will regular tire pressure checks do for most people (unless they get it done at an auto service station)? At least with nitrogen tires, proper tire pressure is maintained for a longer period time, and  pressure checks can be done at regular maintenance checks with little worry. With nitrogen tires, consumers will have one less thing to worry about, which is a nice thing in our incredibly busy lives. Unless skeptics are going to start teaching people how to properly inflate their tires instead of complaining about how nitrogen tire inflation is a scam, then they aren’t solving for the fact that 44 million people in the United States are driving on at least one underinflated tire.

Nitrogen-Filled Tires are a Better Product

When it comes down to it, nitrogen tire inflation offers a much better product than a tire filled with compressed air. Sure, it costs more, but there are a lot of products that cost more and are much better than their cheaper counterparts. Nitrogen tire inflation provides tires that will maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time and will help those people who, for whatever reason, don’t check their tire pressure regularly or don’t know how to properly inflate their tires. By going to a professional or to an auto service shop that offers nitrogen tire inflation, you are sure to get someone who knows what they are doing and can provide you this better product correctly.

DU8MHR6BVP86

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News and Resources about Nitrogen in Tires

On July 26, 2012, in Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Tire Care, by allisonmreilly
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nitrogen in tiresNitrogen tire inflation is a still a new concept that’s only now working its way into the mainstream. There’s still a lot that people don’t know, as well as a lot of misinformation floating around about what it is and how it works. We’re here to “clear up the air” with some additional news and resources about nitrogen tire inflation and tire care. If this isn’t enough for you, we have previous news roundups with other articles for you to read.

Is it Worth it to Put Nitrogen in Tires? – servicewithsarah.com – The quick answer is yes, yes, and YES! It’s something we’ve emphasized for a while and here it is coming from another voice!

Guide to Proper Tire Inflation – partsgeek.com – We need to thank Janet Reid and her student, James, for this suggestion. It’s a great article about what it takes to have tires at proper tire pressure, how proper tire pressure improves your fuel efficiency, and a few tips on good tire care.

Redesigned 2012 Ford Focus Excels in Fuel Economy, Power, and Comfort – thechronicleherald.ca – This is a new car that comes with nitrogen-filled tires. If only all new cars and new models would come this way!

Air Pressure – Correct, Underinflated, and Overinflated – Tirerack.com – Proper tire inflation is really what nitrogen tire inflation is all about. With nitrogen, you can maintain your tires at their proper tire pressure for a longer period of time, which improves fuel efficiency and tire life.

Tire Safety Tips – Cars.about.com – Nitrogen tire inflation is also about tire safety. With your tires at proper tire pressure, you have less risk for flats and blowouts.

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6 Reasons Why Nitrogen Tire Inflation is Great for Managed Fleets

On June 28, 2012, in Managed Fleets, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Sustainability, by allisonmreilly
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nitrogen tire inflation for managed fleetsThere’s still a lot of doubt about the value of nitrogen tire inflation, despite research and experience that say otherwise. Even though it may be hard to convince the consumer marketing about the benefits of having nitrogen in tires, industry should take a little less convincing when major companies and industries like the military, the airlines, and NASCAR have used nitrogen tire inflation for years. If you are in fleet management, and you still need a little more convincing, here are six excellent reasons on why nitrogen tire inflation is a good idea for your managed fleet:

  1. Better Pressure Retention – Because of its larger molecular size, nitrogen migrates through a tire three to four times slower than oxygen. Tires are not impermeable, and oxygen molecules migrate through the sidewalls, belts, tread, tire bead, and valve stem. Using nitrogen tire inflation will slow this migration, and help each of your fleet vehicles to maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time.
  2. Improved Handling – Proper tire inflation ensure the recommended “contact patch” of your tire is on the road. Tires that are over or underinflated will create uneven wear patterns, making them less safe on which to drive. Over/underinflation also negatively affects fuel efficiency, which leads to our next reason.
  3. Higher Fuel Economy – Proper tire pressure lessens rolling resistance and maximizes fuel efficiency. Research has found that proper tire pressure leads to a 3.3% increase in fuel efficiency. This may not seem like a lot, but for a managed fleet with 100, 1000, or 10,000+ vehicles, those few percentage points add mean a return on investment for nitrogen tire inflation and fuel cost savings in the long run. A tire that is 15 percent underinflated has a 2.5% decrease in fuel economy.
  4. Enhanced Safety and Reliability – Under-inflated tires cause 90 percent of blowouts. Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced blowout potential. Safety and reliability should be a top priority for all members of a managed fleet.
  5. Longer Tire Life – Under-inflated tires wear quickly on the shoulders, and overinflated tires wear in the center. In addition, removing oxygen eliminates oxidation and condensation that can damage inner liners, steel belts and rims. Proper tire pressure, which nitrogen maintains for a longer period of time than air, increases tire life by 20 percent. A tire that’s 15 percent underinflated has eight percent less tread mileage than one at proper tire pressure. The increase in tire life could mean savings in tire expenses or in retreads for a managed fleet.
  6. Better for the Environment – Anything that improves fuel efficiency and reduces toxic emissions is good for the environment, and nitrogen in your tires can help. Anything that your managed fleet does that’s considered “green” or “sustainable” is also great for marketing purposes, since it’s a way not only to differentiate from the competition but also to appeal to customers.
Sometimes, one small change in how you do things can have a big impact. Nitrogen tire inflation is one of those small changes. Nitrofleet99 is the only nitrogen tire inflation provider that works specifically with managed fleet. They can help any fleet, large or small, integrate the equipment with any maintenance program 
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A Fourth Way the Trucking Industry Can Go Green

On June 14, 2012, in Managed Fleets, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Trucking Industry, by allisonmreilly
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trucking industry going greenThe trucking industry is vital to just about everything. The produce at your grocery store, the new television at Best Buy, and the new cars at the dealership all get where they need to be because of trucks. Despite their overall importance to the economy, the way the industry works has remained largely unchanged for decades. One of the ways they haven’t changed is in their fuel efficiency and consumption, and this post on GreenUnite offers three ways the trucking industry can go green. However, the article missed a fourth way the trucking industry can go green, a way that is so much easier to implement than the three mentioned in the article. That way is nitrogen tire inflation.

Nitrogen tire inflation is the process of using nitrogen in tires instead of regular air, and with the right equipment, it can be implemented in a managed fleet more quickly and easily than reducing speed (truckers are on tight deadlines, and can’t afford to waste precious time by going slow, or to lose business for slower deliveries), using alternative fuels (the truck takes what the truck takes. Hybrid 18-wheelers aren’t yet on the market, and until they are, this isn’t possible), or building a more aerodynamic truck (again, until one comes on the market, nothing’s changing). The great thing about nitrogen tire inflation as a way for managed fleets and the trucking industry to go green is that it is something that individual fleets or trucking companies can do on their own, and tomorrow. The technology already exists, and a single fleet can purchase this technology and do their part to go green without waiting for legislation, or innovators, or the industry to make changes themselves.

Nitrogen tire inflation helps a managed fleet or trucking company go green in two ways: improving fuel efficiency and improving tire life. The process of using nitrogen in tires has been found to improve fuel efficiency between three and six percent because nitrogen is able to maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time. Three to six percent improvement may not seem like a lot, but for a managed fleet of several hundred or thousand vehicles, that equals a lot of savings in fuel and transportation costs. If anything, improved fuel efficiency should be enough of a reason to go green, because it’s a way to go green while saving green

Nitrogen also improves tire life because it’s not necessarily nitrogen that’s so special, but it’s the oxygen and water vapor in compressed air that’s damaging to tires. Oxygen reacts with the tire rubber, causing it to deteriorate over a long period of time. An improvement in tire life could mean that managed fleets could get one more retread out of each tire. The water vapor can also do damage to the wheel studs by rusting them over time. Water vapor is also much more reactive to temperature, causing tire pressure to fluctuate. The tires will warm up after a drive, and could be read as overinflated if tire pressure is taken right after getting off the road. This means that the driver will release the pressure, making them underinflated. This can make the tires unsafe to drive on by putting them at risk for flats and blowouts.

How does a managed fleet or trucking company get involved with nitrogen tire inflation? Nitrofleet99 is a the only nitrogen tire inflation firm in the country that services managed fleets, and will work with your fleet or your company to create a strategy within your maintenance infrastructure so that every single one of your vehicles will receive nitrogen in their tires when they go through regular maintenance. Nitrofleet99 will also teach you how to use the technology, and will provide enough for your fleet whether its five vehicles or 5000 vehicles.

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Managed Fleets Large and Small Improve Bottom Line with Nitrogen Tire Inflation

On May 31, 2012, in Fuel Efficiency, Managed Fleets, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, by allisonmreilly
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managed fleet

A managed fleet like this can save a lot of money with nitrogen tire inflation.

A boost in equipment and maintenance doesn’t necessarily need a brand new device or technology. Sometimes, a great change can come from doing something differently.

That’s the case with nitrogen tire inflation, the practice of inflating tires with nitrogen instead of compressed air. Nitrogen has been used by the airline industry and NASCAR for decades, and has only recently begun to make its way into the trucking industry.

“The two largest costs for trucking fleets are tires and fuel,” said Ken Lawton, CEO of Nitrofleet99. Nitrofleet99, based in Brentwood, Tenn., is a nitrogen tire inflation systems firm that has worked with various trucking fleets around the country.

“Managed fleets are the biggest beneficiaries of nitrogen tire inflation,” Lawton said. “By using nitrogen, there is an increase in fuel economy and an improvement in mileage and carbon emissions.”

Air is already 78 percent nitrogen, but it’s not necessarily the nitrogen that improves tire performance. It’s the other 21 percent of the air that’s the problem. That other 21 percent includes oxygen and water vapor. The oxygen reacts with the rubber, destroying it over time. The water vapor makes the tire more susceptible to temperature changes, causing the tire pressure to fluctuate. The nitrogen used is a dry gas that isn’t affected by the rubber or the temperature changes.

That’s the exact philosophy behind Wood County Bandag, a truck tire retreading company in Bowling Green, Ohio. President Jim Keiser said that a client mentioned the idea eight years ago, and now utilizes nitrogen in every single tire retreaded and every single tire in its own fleet of 16 vehicles.

“There isn’t one reason for a trucking company not to be using it,” Keiser said. “There’s a whole list of benefits, and it saves them money.”

Keiser explained the temperature buildup that takes place as trucks spend the long hours driving affects the air pressure as well as the quality of the ride. As air-filled tires warm up, they increase in pressure, so much so that the driver “feels each bump like there are stones underneath the tire.”

“The temperature builds up as the tire has less pressure,” Keiser said. “The road running temperature of a tire is 190 degrees. If the tire gets up to 250 degrees, it will fail within an hour. At 275 degrees, it will fail catastrophically.”

Ever since Wood County Bandag implemented nitrogen, Keiser said that the fail rate of those tires is exponentially lower. That’s something that trucking fleets around the country are noticing.

“You get a more consistent tire pressure,” said Dave Kuppler, Group Manager of Health and Environmental Services for the City of St. Peters, Mo. “They aren’t working at optimum if the tire pressure is low.”

The City of St. Peters started using nitrogen tire inflation five years ago on its entire fleet of 261 vehicles, which includes everything from police cars to solid waste trucks. The city noticed that the tires on its vehicles kept on coming in with low tire pressures.

“With nitrogen, we use less tires and gas and it saves money,” Kuppler said. “The tire pressure is better, which is also better for safety.”

Chad Sanders, Founder of N2Generator, agreed that nitrogen tire inflation can lower the risk of a blowout because the nitrogen maintains proper tire pressure three to four times longer with less fluctuation than regular air. N2Generator is a nitrogen systems dealer based in Woodstock, Ga. that primarily works with automotive dealerships, but has also worked with smaller trucking fleets.

“If a fleet owner sees a 20 percent increase in tire life and a seven percent increase in fuel economy, that’s upwards of a million dollars in savings,” Sanders said.

How does nitrogen maintain proper tire pressure longer than air? The air molecules are three to four times smaller than nitrogen, so they have harder time migrating through the casing. Also, as mentioned previously, the fact that the nitrogen used is a dry, inert gas also makes a difference in maintaining proper tire pressure.

Proper tire pressure and improved mileage were the exact things that Allied Republic found when it conducted a test of nitrogen tire inflation on a small portion of its fleet. The original testing was conducted in the fall of 2008, when a regional vice president thought that the new technology was worth exploring. Allied Republic has over 60,000 vehicles in its fleet, and now uses nitrogen in the tires of every single one of them.

“The original testing we did across 300 [trucks] in service and new trucks in our fleet showed us that after 90 days of monthly preventative maintenance, fuel usage improved by one to two percent on new trucks and between three to four percent on in service trucks,” said Robert McClellon, General Manager for Allied Republic. “We were all pretty amazed.”

A few percentage points may not seem like a lot of benefit, but for a fleet of 60,000, a few percentage points can add up to immense savings. It might not be the seven percent that Sanders said, but with gas at all-time highs, and fuel approximately 25 percent of the costs of an average trucking fleet, every little bit of savings can affect the bottom line.

“This is a chance to have a better maintenance program,” said Lawton of Nitrofleet99. “The bigger the fleet, the bigger the benefit.”

WDFDD9WGTT3N

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Summer Driving Season: More Cars, Lower Gas Prices

On May 17, 2012, in Fuel Efficiency, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, by allisonmreilly
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summer driving season

Prepare for the summer driving season with nitrogen tire inflation

Memorial Day is next weekend, marking the beginning of the summer driving season. As many folks around the country plan trips and vacations, there’s a couple of things that will be going on in the coming months that motorists ought to be aware of.

First, according to AAA, is that car travel is expected to increase this year. It’s projected that 30.7 million people will be on the roads over the long weekend, although they will be making shorter trips than last year. Nonetheless, with more people on the roads, safety should still be a top concern. If something happens, you are more like to cause problems and/or to be a hazard to others traveling during the weekend and throughout the summer driving season. Make sure that your car is in top shape before starting on your trip.

Second, gas prices are the lowest they’ve been since February, making the summer driving season much more appealing this year than in previous years. Gas prices have decreased slightly to $3.78 a gallon, down about 4 cents from a week ago and down 15.5 cents in the past month. However, it’s also projected that these gas prices aren’t going to hold throughout the entire summer travel season, as Edward Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup, said in the Washington Post that “It’s still a tight market, and summer gasoline is hard for refiners to make. We don’t think the worst is over for consumers, and I’d be surprised if there is not another price pickup before the July Fourth weekend.”

Gas prices shouldn’t scare anyone away from taking a quick vacation this summer or going to see family, but a great way to improve your vehicle for safety as well as improve your fuel efficiency is with nitrogen tire inflation. By making the small change from air to nitrogen in your tires, you’ll be able to maintain proper tire pressure for a longer period of time. That alone makes a big different to tire life, tire safety, and tire performance; all good things when going on a road trip.

Make memorial day weekend a memorable one for the right reasons, not because you ended up getting a flat or overspent on gas. Make it an enjoyable trip by making it a safe one.

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Managed Fleets Can Achieve Sustainability with Nitrogen Tire Inflation

On May 3, 2012, in Managed Fleets, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Sustainability, by allisonmreilly
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Nitrogen Tire Inflation

Nitrogen tire inflation is a good way to add sustainability and energy management to your managed fleet.

Nitrogen in tires not only does well for the bottom line of a managed fleet, but it also helps with energy management and sustainability. If managed fleets want to add a hybrid tires or going green branding/spin to their company and its services, then nitrogen tire inflation can provide that benefit as well.

Nitrogen in tires can help a managed fleet go green in three ways: fuel efficiency, extended tire life, and carbon emission reduction. Carbon emission reduction comes from the improvement in fuel efficiency, while extended tire life means that each tire lasts longer, and fewer of them will end up in landfills. Obviously, the improvement in fuel efficiency in and of itself is good for the environment. The less fossil fuels used, the better.

Why should managed fleets care about energy management and sustainability? Is this something that customers and shareholders care about? Would this even be something that a company board of directors or a CEO will care about? Maybe for a managed fleet, going green for the sake of going green may not mean a whole lot. However, going green (especially with the practice of putting nitrogen in tires) can cut significant fuel and maintenance costs. That is something that customers, shareholders, a board of directors, and a CEO will all consider a good thing.

In fact, this type of energy management will not only cuts costs, but those cut costs mean additional funds for hiring more people, updating facilities, improving company infrastructure, or even lowering prices for your customers. All that sounds like win-win for everyone! To think all that can come from one simple change from air tire inflation to nitrogen tire inflation.

Nitrofleet99 is the only nitrogen tire inflation firm that’s dedicated to serving managed fleets with nitrogen tire inflation services and equipment. For pricing on nitrogen products and services, please contact us.

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Why Managed Fleets Need Nitrogen Tire Inflation

On April 19, 2012, in Managed Fleets, Nitrogen Tire Inflation, Proper Tire Pressure, by allisonmreilly
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managed fleets nitrogen tire inflation

Managed fleets can really benefit from nitrogen tire inflation.

Managed fleets come in all sizes, and are found in a variety of industries, but do have at least one thing in common: they use a lot of fuel.  With gas prices on the rise, keeping control of those costs can be difficult. However, increasing a vehicle’s fuel economy by just 1 mile per gallon can save a 300-vehicle fleet over $50,000 in one year. Fleet managers can easily reign in fuel costs for their fleets and their companies by improving fuel efficiency.

One of the best ways to improve fuel efficiency is with nitrogen tire inflation because nitrogen in tires makes it easier to achieve the most important factor to improving fuel efficiency and increasing tire life: proper tire pressure. By itself, proper tire pressure increases fuel efficiency between three and six percent. If the vehicle already gets 34 miles to the gallon, then a three percent increase in fuel efficiency will achieve that 1 mile per gallon increase that needed to see savings. If the vehicle gets 25 miles to the gallon, then a four percent increase is what needed to achieve that one mile per gallon. Since nitrogen tire inflation maintains proper tire pressure for a longer period of time, those savings are more easily achieved and kept.

According to the Tire Retread Bureau, the biggest issues affecting the bottom line of fleet managers, after fuel costs, are tire maintenance/safety and replacement/tire wear. Nitrogen tire inflation targets those issues as well as the fuel economy because proper tire pressure increases tire life as well as the fuel economy. This leads to even more savings for managed fleets, as they can not only cut fuels costs but cut tire maintenance and replacement costs as well. According to the Technology & Maintenance Council, 10 percent under inflation will shorten tread life anywhere between nine and 16 percent. Under inflation shortens tread life because driving on these tires causes sidewall flexing, which creates irregular tire wear and extra heat build-up within the tire, reducing retreadability and safety while using more energy and fuel. With an average tire press of $250, under inflation will cost a managed fleet an extra $25 per tire. Proper tire pressure with nitrogen tire inflation will reduce those maintenance costs while making the vehicles safer for your drivers.

Nitrogen tire inflation is a win-win for managed fleets both large and small, and in all sorts of industries. It’s been used by the airline industry, NASCAR, and the military for years, so nitrogen must be doing something right for them. If improving fuel economy or cutting operational costs are what you’re after as a fleet manager, then why not see if nitrogen tire inflation can do something right for your managed fleet?

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