Under a new development agreement, Stemco's digital hubometer is being combined with SkyBitz' wireless trailer tracking system to provide fleet users with actual mileage readings in real-time, the two companies announced at the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting in Tampa last month. The new pairing is currently being field tested by an unnamed fleet and will be available commercially through SkyBitz by mid 2007, according to Roni Taylor, SkyBitz executive vp.

Stemco's Active RF TracBAT hubometer captures accurate mileage readings based on actual tire rotations, passing the information wirelessly to an Asset Interface Module. Mounted on a trailer roof, that module plugs into the SkyBitz GLS200 tracking device, which passes the mileage readings along with it normal tracking and location information over the company's satellite communications network. Both units are battery powered and require no wiring to the trailer power harness.

Fleets can access the mileage data as either an XML file sent to their IT systems or via SkyBitz' web-based tracking application. Individual trailer mileage reports can be generated automatically by any time period a fleet specifies. The real-mileage data will be especially useful for lease/rental companies that bill by the mile or fleets that want to move from calendar-base preventive maintenance to schedules reflecting individual trailer mileage.

Stemco says its new RF TracBAT hubometer is completely electronic with no moving parts and can be programmed by users for any tire size, eliminating the need to stock different hubometers for various tire sizes.

For more information, go to www.batrf.com or www.skybitz.com