NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Maverick Transportation is working with SKF and Road Ready to help its fleet avoid costly wheel bearing incidents while on the road.
Maverick is currently leveraging SKF’s TraX wheel end monitoring (WEM) system and Road Ready’s trailer telematics system on 900 trailers. The carrier plans to equip the remainder of its fleet, which includes approximately 2,400 flatbed trailers and other specialty units, with the systems by the end of 2024.
“Wheel separation is a catastrophic failure that sends a wheel assembly rolling down a highway — and it’s incredibly dangerous,” said Mike Jeffress, vice president of maintenance at Maverick Transportation. The new systems are already helping the fleet prevent incidents. “With Road Ready and TraX, we caught this failing wheel bearing way ahead of true failure — and that’s a significant cost savings.”
Spalling (pitting or flaking away of bearing material) is a very early sign of future failure, and knowing about it early allowed Maverick to address the issue well before there was any danger on the road.
According to a press release from SKF, it’s estimated that between 750 and 1,050 wheel separations occur each year and 7,000 truck fires happen on the nation’s roadways every year. The Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Truckers Association cites the top four causes of truck fires are failures of brakes, wheel bearings, air leaks and tires — all of which are preventable if monitored and maintained.
“Maverick is a prime example of how fleets can lead the industry by using technology to prevent critical failures rather than reacting after they occur,” said Dane Hollar, vice president of Road Ready Sales. “A proactive response, like this one, sends a clear message that Maverick is willing to go the extra mile to ensure their customers’ cargo is delivered safely and on time.”
Maverick was able to harness the power SKF’s TraX WEM sensor through the Road Ready platform. Because Road Ready is designed to integrate multiple data feeds from a single trailer, the TraX WEM, installed at the outboard side of the truck wheel rim, alerted the system to unusual vibrations from the bearing so Maverick could service the trailer before catastrophic failure.
“Trax WEM is a small but extremely effective way to monitor the truck and trailer bearings as well as abnormal wheel end temperatures and detect potential problems before they occur,” said Cengiz Shevket, president of vehicle aftermarket sales-North America at SKF. “Detecting wheel-end problems early helps reduce unscheduled downtime, saves money from more costly repairs and makes the truck safer for the driver and the vehicles around it.”
Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Erica N. Guy decided to stay in her hometown to begin her professional career in journalism. Since obtaining her bachelor’s degree from UAPB, Erica has professionally written for several publications about several topics ranging from lifestyle, tech, culture, and entertainment, just to name a few. Continuing her love for her hometown, she joined our team in June 2023, where she is currently a staff writer. Her career goals include continuing storytelling through her writing by being the best professional writer she can be. In her spare time, Erica enjoys trying new foods, cozying up with a good book, spending time with family and friends, and establishing herself as a future businesswoman.
