Based on the Gold Coast, Turner’s Engineering was established in 1954 and has grown into a diversified engineering company servicing the construction, mining and transport industries.
It was started by current managing director Mick Turner, who for the past 20 years has had his son Luke Turner working by his side.
The company’s services include plant hire and equipment sales; custom manufacturing of buckets and attachments; manufacturing, conversion and refurbishment of fuel, service and water trucks; along with heavy haulage, using its modern floats and dollies.
The fleet consists of 200 pieces of equipment, including four road trucks and a diverse range of bulldozers, graders, excavators, compacters, etc.
The trucks are used to tow floats that generally consist of an 8×8 low loader and 2×8 dolly – including the prime mover, that’s 90 tyres in a single combination that need to be checked and maintained.
Around four months ago, Turner’s had the LSM TyreGuard MTR360 multi-combination tyre monitoring system fitted to its first truck/trailer/dolly combination, which has resulted in huge safety and efficiency gains. The system is used to monitor both the pressure and temperature of tyres /wheels.
“Looking ahead, all of our road going equipment is going to have that LSM TMSystem fitted,” said Luke.
“We chose that system because it helps to reduce the cost per kilometre of our tyres, offers peace of mind and helps to reduce fire risks. With LSM Technologies FSM Fleet Safety (+Tracking) Manager, a live online data portal means we can see information about every single tyre, at any given time, all from the one location remotely.
“The productivity gains are secured due to the fact that the operator doesn’t have to check every single tyre for re-pressurisation. When you’re having to run 90 tyres on a single float and with two-three minutes to check each tyre once a day, you need 4.5 hours to complete the task. Using the FSM Fleet Safety (+Tracking) Manager telematics or checking the LSM TyreGuard in-cabin monitor saves a lot of time and means the operator only needs to address those tyres that need attention. It also picks up the ambient temperatures of each wheel, so it can tell you if you have a brake fire that’s about to start – rather than drivers having to rely on others to tell them there’s smoke blowing out the back.”
The LSM TyreGuard TMSystem has been purpose built to survive and function efficiently in extreme conditions, offering the highest levels of accuracy, durability, reliability and protection for your tyres, vehicles and occupants.
LSM TyreGuard TMSystems can be utilised on any vehicle or machine that has a pneumatic tyre – from heavy industrial equipment to domestic vehicles.
Ensuring your tyres are inflated properly helps to ensure optimum performance and handling, with tyre pressures constantly monitored, while moving or parked.
The system also provides alerts about dangerous low-pressure and high temperature situations, with both a visual and an audible alert.
The benefits of properly inflated tyres are that they last longer due to less tread wear, extending the life of tyre treads by as much as 35 per cent; they save on fuel; and it ensures the tyre casing is protected, reducing the chance of blowouts and side wall rips.
“I think we’ll start to see this sort of tyre monitoring system becoming standard on heavy haulage floats across the industry in the future,” added Luke. “The peace of mind we get from this system is just fantastic.”
For more information, please visit lsm.com.au.