From steer to hitch: Aperia expands Halo ecosystem

Aperia Technologies revealed a new partnership with Fontaine Fifth Wheel, launched its Halo automatic tire inflation system for steer tires, and spotlighted a Foodliner truck in its booth during American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council annual meeting in Nashville.

The Fontaine partnership integrates SmartConnect fifth wheel data into Aperia’s Halo Connect fleet management suite of portals and mobile applications, enabling the Halo platform to deliver real-time visibility of safety-critical tractor-trailer connection information, Aperia reported. Fontaine SmartConnect monitors the fifth wheel lock position and provides confirmation of secure coupling. Through the collaboration, Halo Connect will receive the signal from the SmartConnect controller and display it within the Halo Connect ecosystem.

“Fontaine has engineered a groundbreaking connected fifth wheel, and we’re proud to partner so that this intelligent solution can be integrated into an easy-to-use digital format,” Ralph Dimenna, Aperia chief commercial officer, said in a news release. “Halo is designed to unify critical vehicle data in one place. By visualizing SmartConnect information in our app and portal, we make it easier for drivers and fleet managers to act on that information quickly and confidently.”

Aperia and Fontaine plan to commercialize the integration with “leading fleets” this year, enabling drivers and operators using SmartConnect to confirm successful tractor-trailer coupling within the Halo Drive app.

“Integrating SmartConnect with Halo Connect brings fleets a powerful new layer of insurance and operational intelligence,” said Aaron Puckett, Fontaine senior VP of business development. “By unifying fifth‑wheel lock status with other mission‑critical data, we’re giving drivers and fleet managers clearer, faster insight into every connection they make. This partnership ensures that the value of a connected fifth wheel is fully realized in the digital tools fleets already rely on.”

Aperia expands inflation technology

With Aperia’s introduction of the Halo steer tire inflator, the system now covers all the wheel positions on commercial trucks and trailers.

Halo remains the first and only automatic tire inflation system designed to protect trucks, the company said. While Aperia has long delivered its patented, self-powered inflation for drive and trailer tires, this expansion marks the company’s first inflator engineered to actively protect safety-critical steer tires through continuous, automatic inflation.

“Steer tire failures present a significantly higher safety risk than other tire failures because they directly affect the vehicle’s directional control, increasing the likelihood of severe accidents,” Dimenna said. “We are thrilled to introduce this safety technology, combined with our leading leak detection, to steer tires, which will measurably improve the performance for commercial trucks.”

The Halo ATIS for steer tires continuously maintains optimal tire pressure, while Aperia’s Halo Connect platform simultaneously collects tire health data in order to alert fleets of any risks. Aperia’s predictive analytics provide early warning leak alerts for all wheel positions, significantly improving the ability to control and manage tire issues. Since Aperia only alerts when human intervention is required, alert fatigue is dramatically reduced, allowing fleets to identify emerging issues before they lead to roadside events, downtime, or safety incidents.

By combining inflation and intelligence in one system, Halo delivers tire health management for the entire rig under a single solution.