How B & B Street Sweeping Improved Safety & Gained Valuable Operational Data with TPMS

Based in Busselton, south of Perth, B & B Street Sweeping keeps everything from city streets to industrial warehouses and construction sites clean. Their fleet of heavy-duty street sweepers work daily to collect dirt and debris.

However, the environments they operate in come with its own challenges. Busselton sits on the edge of Australia's dry interior. This combined with the conditions they’re in means dust and sharp debris are an everyday reality. Constantly driving over this significantly increases the risk of tyre damage.

The Issue

For most passenger vehicles, picking up a nail or sharp object is a rarity. For B & B Street Sweeping, it's simply part of the job. With vehicles constantly travelling through hazardous sites, tyre punctures are an almost routine occurrence.

On average, each truck in the fleet suffers a puncture around once every month. The real concern here is that these punctures often go unnoticed. Drivers estimated that in around nine out of every ten cases, they were completely unaware there was a puncture until it was found during maintenance.

Current Fleet Setup

B & B Street Sweeping operates a fleet of heavy-duty triple-axle rigid trucks, each fitted with ten tyres - two steer tyres at the front and eight drive tyres across the 2 rear axles. For tighter access jobs and smaller worksites, the company also operates smaller dual-axle six-wheel trucks. Across the fleet, these vehicles are typically in operation two to three times each week.

Every incident not only requires a replacement tyre but also takes the vehicle out of service while repairs are carried out. The combined cost of tyre installation, labour and lost productivity quickly adds up.

After reviewing these expenses, B & B found that a single tyre damage incident often cost more than half the price of installing a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) on the vehicle. By detecting punctures before they caused irreversible tyre damage, B & B Street Sweeping found the system would pay for itself.

The Test

Before rolling out a tyre pressure monitoring system across their fleet, B & B Street Sweeping wanted to ensure they were investing in a solution that could withstand the demanding conditions their vehicles face every day. Rather than relying solely on product specifications or marketing claims, they decided to conduct their own real-world trial.

After researching available options, comparing technical specifications, reading customer reviews and speaking with suppliers, the company shortlisted two systems: LSM TPMS and Promata TPMS. One system from each brand was installed on separate trucks - allowing both products to be evaluated under near identical operating conditions.

Over the following months, the two systems were exposed to the same harsh environments - dusty roads, construction sites, industrial areas and the constant vibration associated with heavy street sweeping vehicles. This provided B & B with a side-by-side comparison of reliability, ease of use and day-to-day performance.

At the conclusion of the trial, the company found that the Promata TPMS delivered more reliable performance in demanding conditions while also representing overall better value for money. Subsequently B & B began expanding Promata TPMS across additional vehicles in their fleet.

The Setup

Following the successful trial, B & B Street Sweeping began rolling out the Promata Mata T2 TPMS across six of its smaller trucks and two of its larger sweepers.

Given the harsh environments in which the vehicles operate, the company opted for internal tyre pressure sensors rather than the external valve cap sensors. Internal sensors, mounted safely inside each wheel are shielded from the elements.

Once the sensors were installed, the trucks were ready to return to service with continuous tyre pressure and temperature monitoring. Inside the cab, the compact display monitor was placed on the dashboard, where drivers could easily view real-time tyre information at a glance without taking their attention off the road. Because the monitor is not permanently fixed, it can be repositioned to suit individual driver preferences. This ensures a convenient and unobtrusive installation in every vehicle.

The Results

After several months of continuous operation, the benefits of real-time tyre monitoring became increasingly apparent. Drivers could immediately see when a tyre began losing pressure, allowing potential punctures to be identified long before they developed into costly failures. Instead of discovering damaged tyres during routine servicing - or worse, after they had caused further damage - the team could respond while the problem was still relatively minor.

The live tyre data also transformed the way maintenance was planned. Rather than unexpected repairs disrupting the workshop schedule, maintenance staff could prepare in advance, ensuring replacement tyres, tools and technicians were ready before the vehicle arrived. This reduced unplanned downtime and helped make more efficient use of time.

Beyond maintenance, the company also gained valuable operational insights. By tracking where punctures occurred most frequently, B & B Street Sweeping was able to identify which contracts and work environments posed the greatest risk to tyres. This information has become a useful planning tool, allowing the business to better estimate maintenance costs and schedule inspections more strategically.

Perhaps most importantly, the data has helped guide longer-term decisions. With a clearer understanding of the harsh conditions their vehicles regularly encounter, the company is now evaluating heavier-duty tyres that offer greater resistance to punctures and impact damage. What began as an investment in tyre monitoring has evolved into a valuable source of operational intelligence - helping B & B improve safety, reduce unexpected costs and make more informed decisions across its fleet.