Aperia Technologies' Halo Tire Inflator won the 2014 Technical Achievement Award from the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA). The award was presented during the Technology & Maintenance Council's (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition in Nashville.
Halo bolts onto an axle hub and uses the wheel's rotational motion to drive an internal pump that maintains air pressure in a tire. It operates on a similar principle to a self-winding watch, Aperia executives said when they unveiled it last year. Halo can be used on drive and trailer axles, and a version is in the works for steer axles.
The award was accepted by Aperia CEO, Josh Carter, Chief Technology Officer and Brandon Richardson. Both are co-founders of the Burlingame, Calif.-based company.
"We had some very innovative products to consider for this year's award,” said Jim Park, Equipment Editor of Heavy-Duty Trucking magazine and chair of the TWNA Technical Achievement Award committee. “Aperia’s Halo Tire Inflator is joining an exclusive group of products that has contributed much to the efficiency and prosperity of the trucking industry."
Aperia’s Halo was picked from five finalists through an elimination process that started with more than a dozen products. The four other finalists were Dana's Spicer AdvanTEK 40 tandem drive axles, Fontaine Fifth Wheel's dual camera system, Peterson's LumenX Series 7 LED and Webb Wheel's Vortex Unlimited vented brake drum.
"We're honored to receive this award and we consider it to be a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our R&D team and the guidance and collaboration we received from the industry," said Carter. "Our product development philosophy was to involve real users of the product early and often. We worked with senior managers and top executives, as well as shop managers, mechanics and drivers too. As a result, after five years of intensive R&D and immersing ourselves in the field with fleets, the Halo is proving to meet the tough demands of the industry, and we're excited to be watching it drive value for our customers."
The Truck Writers of North America Technical Achievement Award was first presented in 1991 to Grote Industries for its red LED marker lamp. Ever since Grote has provided trophies for subsequent winners. Each year, the association’s award committee, a panel of editors representing the industry’s major publications chooses five award finalists. To be eligible, a product or service has to show technical innovation, have a wide applicability and availability in trucking, and offer significant benefits.
The award finalists were chosen by the association's Technical Achievement Award committee, including Paul Abelson of Road King and Land Line magazines, John Baxter of Baxter TechWrite and technical director of Advance Diesel Concepts, Tom Berg of Heavy Duty Trucking and Construction Equipment magazines, Peter Carter of Today's Trucking, David Kolman of Fleet Maintenance Magazine, James Menzies of Truck News and Truck West, and Jim Park of Heavy Duty Trucking (chair).
