Timberpak operates from four recycling sites in Washington, Leeds, St Albans and Bellshill.
The business is equipping its vehicles with the in-motion wheel loss detection system, which combines brake and hub temperature monitoring with an intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), following a successful trial.
Gordon Argo, transport and operations manager at Timberpak, said: “We had it running on one vehicle to begin with and were very impressed. This is the only technology I’ve come across that offers the complete package, in terms of alerting you to any issues with the wheel nuts, the tyre pressures and the temperature in the hub. It’s very easy to use too.”
Timberpak’s fleet of tractor units, trailers and hookloader rigids are often working on rough terrain, collecting wood and returning it to its processing sites to recycle into chipboard for sister company EGGER UK.
“It’s a line of work susceptible to tyre punctures and damage,” added Argo. “A key selling point for us though was the wheel loss element of the technology. Not so long ago, we had an issue where one of our wheels had been over-torqued by a technician and we came very close to losing that wheel, which as a transport operator is something you never want to experience.
“Having this protection across the fleet now gives us huge peace of mind, as well as bringing the added benefits in terms of fuel efficiency and cost-saving by having the tyres running at optimal pressures.”
The technology sees Wheely-Safe’s external TPMS sensors, which auto-pair with an in-cab solar receiver, replace the standard valve caps. These are fitted alongside a pair of wheel loss sensors and brackets on each wheel which transmit an in-motion alert to the receiver in the cab, should the wheel nuts start to loosen. The same sensor also monitors heat and can quickly identify a temperature abnormality from the brakes or hub.
Timberpak currently has the system working on 12 vehicles and will continue the roll-out across the remainder of its 23-strong fleet as trucks and trailers are replaced.