News Summary:
- Oldham-based business installs Wheely-Safe Connect on its six-axle Faymonville step frame pendle axle trailer
- The 72 cloud-connected Wheely-Safe sensors continuously monitor tyre pressures, wheel nut movement and hub temperatures
- Q Crane & Plant Hire installed the system having suffered a wheel loss incident a few years ago
Q Crane & Plant Hire has opted to protect its six-axle, Faymonville step frame pendle axle trailer with Wheely-Safe Connect technology. The set-up utilises 72 separate Wheely-Safe cloud-connected sensors, the most running on a single vehicle anywhere in the UK.
Working in tandem with a powerful Volvo FH16 8×4 tractor unit, the trailer is used to transport heavy plant machinery and specialist loads. Oldham-based Q Crane & Plant Hire chose to fit Wheely-Safe to ensure that every one of the 24 wheels and tyres working on the trailer were duly protected and working at the optimal pressures.
Rhys Mullins, Plant & Transport Director at the business, explains: “When you have that number of wheels in operation, often if you have a puncture you don’t even feel it due to the sheer volume of rubber on the road. But leaving that to develop into a blowout can be so damaging.
“The wheel loss protection element of the system was also particularly important. A few years ago, we had an incident where the nuts on a wheel had been torqued too tightly after a routine service by an external organisation. The wheel then came off as we were heading back to the depot. Thankfully no one was hurt but the trailer was out of action for a week, and it ended up costing us something in the region of £12,000 in repairs and off-road time. If we’d had Wheely-Safe installed it could have prevented that incident from happening.”
The 72 Wheely-Safe sensors – two wheel loss brackets and one tyre pressure sensor, that replaces the valve cap, on each wheel – continuously monitor tyre pressures, wheel nut movement and hub temperatures, helping identify potential issues before they become a problem.
The latest generation system enables data to be transmitted not only to the driver in the cab but also to the transport team back at base. This real-time information allows for quicker identification of issues, improving fleet management, reducing downtime, and enhancing vehicle safety.
“Due to the size of the loads we are carrying, we set our tyres at 141 psi, in line with the manufacturers’ recommendations. With them being so highly inflated, every time you go over a kerb or a pot-hole you can lose a bit of air. But with this system, we can keep a close eye on every tyre and make sure we act before the pressure becomes too low,” adds Mullins.
Established in 1972, Q Crane & Plant Hire provides its customers with crawler crane hire, heavy haulage, contract lifting, and crane-specific training across a wide range of sectors and project requirements.
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Notes to editor:
Founded in 2010, Wheely-Safe is an innovative automotive safety technology company focused on eliminating some of the most persistent and high-risk challenges in road transport.
The company’s first commercial solutions, launched in 2018, were developed to address critical wheel-end risks including wheel loss, tyre under-inflation, and excessive wheel hub temperatures — issues that can lead to costly breakdowns, vehicle damage, and serious safety incidents. Building on real-world fleet experience, a second-generation product range was introduced in 2023, delivering enhanced accuracy, improved durability, and easier installation and operation.
Today, Wheely-Safe Connect represents the next evolution in wheel-end safety. The connected system continuously monitors wheel nut movement, tyre pressure, and other safety-critical conditions in real time, providing instant alerts to drivers and fleet operators before minor issues escalate into failures or roadside incidents. By combining proven monitoring technology with modern connectivity, Wheely-Safe enables fleets to move from reactive maintenance to proactive prevention.
The result is clear: improved vehicle safety; reduced downtime; lower maintenance and recovery costs; enhanced compliance; greater peace of mind for drivers and fleet managers.
With a focus on innovation, reliability, and practical fleet performance, Wheely-Safe continues to set new standards in wheel-end safety and operational efficiency.
For more information, please visit www.wheely-safe.com.
For further press information please contact:
Dan Jones or James Keeler at Garnett Keeler PR on 020 8647 4467 or by email to dan.jones@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
To access Wheely-Safe’s online newsroom please visit https://www.gk.news/wheelysafe
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