Continental Tire the Americas LLC demonstrated its ContiConnect Live digital solution - and other offerings - at this week's ContiXperience event in Uvalde, Texas.
Unveiled this past February, ContiConnect Live is a cloud-based solution that provides real-time, digital tire monitoring.
Sensors inside tires track air pressure and temperature, among other metrics, transmitting the information to a telematic unit or Bluetooth dongle and driver app.
Data is then forwarded to the ContiConnect Live web portal and can be viewed on a mobile device or computer.
Commercial tire dealers also receive alerts via ContiConnect Live, Shaun Uys, head of Continental U.S. market truck tires, replacement, told ContiXperience attendees.
ContiConnect Live offerings include a stand-alone trailer solution, which allows unhooked trailers to be monitored for GPS location, tire pressure and temperature and mileage; and the ContiConnect Yard reader, which is designed for trucks that frequently return to a central location and allows fleet checks to be performed without touching any tire. (The ContiConnect Yard reader was introduced in 2019.)
ContiConnect Live also is available for long-haul and regional fleets that do not return to central locations often.
More than 200 fleets throughout the United States are using ContiConnect Live, according to Carolina Wagner, head of marketing and digital solutions sales, truck tires, U.S.
"Around 30,000 tires are connected," she said. Currently, most of those tires are monitored by the ContiConnect Yard reader, "which can monitor 10 trucks, 100 trucks or more."
Continental commercial tire dealers will play a vital role in the successful administration of ContiConnect Live, Wagner told attendees. "They are the key piece because they service so many fleets," she said.
"We're getting much more creative in bringing dealers in," said Uys. "They are part of our 360-degree (fleet) solution."
Tire scanning made easy
Continental's digital solutions offerings will eventually include a smartphone-based tire scanning app, company officials revealed during the event.
Now in development, the app "will use a camera in your smartphone to take a three-dimensional picture of the tire and can measure tread depth," said Trey Thompson, field engineering manager.
"It's the same technology used in facial recognition. You can zoom in and out. You can grab (the image) and rotate it."
The app will recognize Continental tire sensors. "All you have to do is walk up and take a photo of the tire and (the app) will connect with the sensor."
Captured data will be forwarded to the ContiConnect portal.
In addition, Wagner told attendees that Continental will offer RFID in its "gen-five" truck tires next year.
"We're adding more and more technology to enable the tire to talk to us and talk to the truck," she noted.
Spotlight on tires, retreads
Continental also demonstrated the capabilities of its new Conti Terra HD3 and a retread product, the ContiTread HDL 3LTL-R, during the ContiXperience event.
The Conti Terra HD3 is an off-road, severe-service tire available in two sizes: 225/70R19.5, in Load Range G, and 245/70R19.5, in Load Range H.
The product features an aggressive, 19/32-inch tread design for enhanced off-road traction, cut/tear-resistant compounding; a circumferential protection rib; and more.
During ContiXperience, the Conti Terra HD3 was driven across a rugged, off-road course.
The ContiTread HDL 3LTL-R retread product, which has been in market for a few years, was designed "for less-than-truckload applications," according to Bridney Jordan, manager, product marketing, Continental.
A wet surface braking test involving a new PACCAR/Peterbilt unit demonstrated the product's grip, traction and stopping power.
In addition, Continental displayed two new tires that will hit the market during the third quarter of 2023.
The Conti HDR 5 19.5, a regional drive tire that's available in size 225/70R19.5, features new tread compounding for improved rolling resistance and durability.
The Conti HSR 5 19.5, which has been specifically engineered for Class 4 and Class 5 trucks, features full-width siping for optimal traction and handling. It also is available in size 225/70R19.5.
Both tires have earned 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake certification.
ContiXperience was held at Continental's proving grounds in Uvalde, about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
