TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System)

A TPMS fits a sensor to each wheel position, reporting pressure and usually temperature to the vehicle or the telematics unit. Because sensors are mapped to physical positions, an alert identifies which tyre needs attention rather than only which vehicle.

Under-inflation is the dominant cause of commercial tyre failure and its effects compound. It increases rolling resistance and therefore fuel consumption, accelerates irregular wear, generates heat that degrades the casing, and eventually causes a blowout. The blowout is the visible event; the fuel and casing losses accrue silently for months beforehand.

Temperature is the more urgent signal of the two. A tyre heating rapidly relative to its neighbours on the same axle indicates a developing failure — a dragging brake, a delaminating tread, or a slow puncture working itself out — and often gives warning before pressure falls far enough to trigger a pressure alarm.