Intermodal drayage fleets face unique tire challenges that traditional maintenance practices cannot adequately address. Tight rail ramp turns, repeated curb scrubbing at marine terminals, and the widespread use of retreaded recaps create conditions that dramatically accelerate radial tire casing fatigue. When these tires fail at highway speeds, the results are often catastrophic: flying debris, loss of vehicle control, expensive roadside service events, and liability claims that can exceed $250,000 per incident.
Strong Tower Consulting has developed the TireGuard Architecture™ in partnership with Exspeedite to deliver continuous, real-time radial tire pressure and temperature telematics specifically engineered for intermodal chassis. This system moves fleets from reactive visual inspections to predictive, data-driven tire governance.
The Catastrophic Highway Tire Blowout
In intermodal operations, chassis tires endure extreme side loads during low-speed rail yard maneuvers and frequent curb strikes while positioning containers at distribution centers. These events cause micro-tears in the tire sidewall and belt packages. When an underinflated tire reaches highway speeds, internal heat buildup accelerates dramatically. At approximately 65 MPH, the combination of low cold tire inflation pressure and accumulated scrub damage often leads to sudden tread separation or complete blowout.
These events generate highway hazard claims, trigger FMCSA reportable incidents, and create significant delays in EDI 214 status updates to shippers. Traditional driver pre-trip inspections using tire thumpers or visual yard checks simply cannot detect slow leaks or early-stage delamination that occurs between terminal visits.
The Strong Tower TireGuard Architecture™
The TireGuard Architecture™ combines valve-stem and hub-mounted TPMS transducers with the CheckPoint platform (accessible at https://exspeeditecheckpoint.com/login.php). Each chassis is equipped with eight wheel-end sensors that continuously monitor:
- Cold tire inflation pressure (PSI)
- Real-time tire surface and internal temperature
- Wheel-bearing heat signature
- Battery status and sensor health
The CheckPoint system applies automated roadside blowout prediction algorithms that analyze pressure decay rates and localized thermal spikes. When thresholds are breached, the system delivers in-cab alerts to the drayage driver via the existing Truckmate, McLeod, or TMW mobile application before casing delamination occurs.
Additionally, automatic electronic tire pressure logs are captured at rail and marine terminal ingates. These timestamped records resolve pool chassis tire damage liability disputes by proving the exact pressure and temperature state when the equipment left the terminal.
Intermodal Wheel-End Safety Performance Matrix
| Metric | Pre-Trip Tire Thumper Sticks | Visual Yard Inspections | Strong Tower CheckPoint Real-Time Continuous TPMS Telematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over-the-Road Tire Blowouts per Million Miles | 2.8 | 1.9 | 0.4 |
| Road Service Call Expenses (USD per unit/year) | $4,820 | $3,650 | $890 |
| Chassis Fleet Tire Life Cycles (Months) | 18 | 21 | 29 |
| Driver Pre-Trip Tire Audit (Seconds) | 185 | 95 | 12 |
Data compiled from aggregated intermodal drayage operations using Truckmate, McLeod, and TMW platforms (2022-2024).
Protecting Drayage Carriers from Roadside Service Overcharges
One of the most immediate financial benefits of the TireGuard Architecture™ is the ability to generate timestamped pressure and heat histories. When a tire fails roadside, carriers can immediately retrieve the exact inflation pressure, temperature trend, and GPS location from the moment the chassis left the terminal. This data frequently demonstrates that the failure originated from pre-existing pool chassis tire defects rather than driver negligence.
The resulting documentation protects carriers during driver settlement disputes, reduces improper fuel surcharge deductions, and strengthens claims against equipment providers. Integration with existing EDI 204, 214, and 210 transaction sets allows this evidence to be attached directly to freight records.
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC and Exspeedite LLC are separately organized sister companies under common ownership. We lead intermodal technology without forcing you to buy our software. You retain complete flexibility to use CheckPoint with any TMS platform. Founded in 2008 in Minnesota by Scott Elliott, we remain in business for more than 18 years. Call us at 763-244-1373.
Implementation Considerations for Intermodal Fleets
Deploying smart chassis TPMS requires more than simply installing sensors. Successful programs integrate tire data into daily operational workflows. CheckPoint pressure events can trigger automated SQL stored procedures within your McLeod or TMW database, update driver settlement calculations, and adjust fuel surcharge logic when tire conditions affect rolling resistance.
Terminal gate scanners automatically validate tire pressure compliance before equipment leaves the facility, reducing ingate rejection rates and improving turn times. The system also supports detention billing justification by documenting equipment condition at the time of interchange.
Conclusion
The transition from manual tire thumping to continuous radial tire pressure telematics represents one of the highest-ROI safety and maintenance investments available to intermodal drayage carriers today. By preventing even a single catastrophic highway tire blowout, the Strong Tower TireGuard Architecture™ pays for itself many times over while dramatically improving safety, compliance, and equipment utilization.
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Intermodal Drayage Technology Strategy Fleet Maintenance Telematics Optimization TMW SQL Schema Best Practices for Maintenance Data