The federal government is expected to release its revised medium truck tire standard during the second half of the year, but it won't contain a provision calling for tire pressure monitoring systems.
Tire pressure monitoring systems for commercial trucks aren't going to happen -- "not as part of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 119," Guy Walenga, director of engineering, commercial products and technologies, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (BFNT), told dealers during BFNT's BizCon meeting this past week in New York City, N.Y.
In addition, FMVSS No. 119 will not contain language covering truck tire retreads, said Walenga. However, that doesn't mean the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) won't address retreads in the future.
"NHTSA has wondered out loud, 'How can we monitor retreads?' But that's not part of FMVSS No. 119."
Walenga told dealers that NHTSA is getting ready to introduce FMVSS No. 119, which will include more stringent truck tire test requirements. It's been a slow process, he added. "FMVSS No. 119 was supposed to be introduced prior to 2008."
