TireMaax Pro, a new system that continuously monitors and adjusts trailer tire pressure by inflating or deflating them based on changing conditions, is among three products announced by Hendrickson International

on the eve of the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas. The others are a strong molded aero front bumper for International's ProStar tractor and a higher capacity lift axle for vocational trucks. (See links for more details.)

Claimed to be the first automatic tire inflation system in the trailer industry capable of active tire deflation and balancing, TireMaax Pro will launch the first quarter of 2011. It deals with two shortcomings of current tire inflation systems - over inflation and balancing due to temperature changes, said Matt Wilson, a business unit manager for Hendrickson. Higher temps can raise tire pressure by 5 to 15 psi, which causes high wear in the center of the tire tread.

TireMaax Pro also balances the pressure at every tire. While balanced tire pressures are ideal for any application, the greatest benefits to balancing are with dual tires. By keeping pressures more or less equal, scrubbing between dual tires can be greatly reduced and tire life improved.

The patented system draws from the trailer air supply to keep trailer tires properly inflated and rolling smoothly. If the ambient temperature increases, the system will relieve air when necessary to prevent over inflation. This feature is important to achieve maximum tread life with all tire configurations, but especially with wide based single tires that are sensitive to pressure.

TireMaax Pro also uses a rotary air connection that is integrated into the hubcap. It is built with high precision bearings and an engineered polymer seal. Axles are non-pressurized so the hub cap needs no vent, which helps keep out contaminants.

With robust components and no electronics, transducers or pressure switches, TireMaax Pro is easy to maintain. The versatile system requires no special tools to adjust tire pressure settings and operates on either 12- or 24-volt electrical systems. It can be integrated with an array of Hendrickson-approved wheel-end configurations on any Hendrickson InTraax primary suspension, VanTraax slider suspension, or individual trailer axle.

Corrected to fix error in the name of the product.