San Antonio-based Pressure Systems International has reached its five-year anniversary as a SmartWay Transport Partnership shipper and as a manufacturer of a SmartWay-endorsed technology
. Automatic tire inflation systems, including the company's Meritor Tire Inflation System, are recognized by SmartWay as a technology that saves fuel and reduces emissions.

Extending tire life by 8 percent, automatic tire inflation systems monitor and adjust the level of pressurized air to tires, even while the truck is moving. According to the company, the system can save over $200 a year in tire replacement costs and inspection time. These systems can also cut fuel consumption by over 100 gallons a year for a typical combination truck, the company says.

The SmartWay web site provides a cost calculator to compare costs of technologies with those that are SmartWay-certified. PSI's Meritor Tire Inflation System qualified in 2007.

According to the company, automatic tire inflation as a new technology for commercial vehicles was born in San Antonio in 1993 when Marvin L. Berry, PSI's founder, acquired a patent for an inflation system to solve a tire-wear problem for an aggregate hauling fleet of 250 plus trailers that he owned.

"We've used the 15 years since we introduced our first product to learn everything we can about what makes a tire inflation system perform the best for fleet owners; and the number of fleets that have chosen MTIS for their vehicles proves to us that we have taken good advantage of those years of experience," said Tim Musgrave, president and CEO of PSI.

MTIS product features and specifications, fleet testimonials and an ROI calculator are available at www.psi-atis.com.