Mobile Awareness announced TireStat, what it calls the next generation of tire pressure monitoring systems, for commercial trucks, trailers, buses and other commercial vehicles.

The light weight TireStat sensors are mounted externally on the valve stem, allowing air input without sensor removal. This approach virtually eliminates limitations previously found to prevent the use of TPMS, says the company, including costly tire maintenance, time-consuming installations, lost cap mounted sensors and difficulty in roadside service.

TireStat is preprogrammed by wheel position for easy installation, yet can be easily altered by the user. This design allows customers to optionally program their own warning alert levels by axle position, offering improved management of fuel and tire expense. For fleet owners this provides a faster ROI, simplicity of driver participation and low on-going maintenance since there are no issues due to lost sensors.

TireStat not only detects under-inflated, over-inflated and rapid leaking tires, it also monitors tire temperature. Knowing when a tire exceeds a safe operating temperature, even when the tire pressure appears to be in a normal range, is vitally important to maximize tire life, extend the ability to retread and enhance driver safety.

In addition, the TireStat exclusive rechargeable Handheld Monitor functions as a portable tire gauge. As a result, the user can monitor actual tire pressure while adjusting each tire's inflation level. All TireStat systems include an easily mounted transceiver, which assures continuous transmission of the wireless signals without the inconvenience of installing multiple antennas.

TireStat features include an integrated anti-theft locking mechanism for the sensors, which are housed in a rugged nylon encasement with a five- to seven-year battery life. Sensors are designed for harsh environments and operate in all weather conditions within a pressure range of 15 psi to 150 psi.