A common problem found in many trucks today is that their wheels and axles are incorrectly positioned. This incorrect position is too small for the human eye to see and the effects become noticeable only when the problem has become severe. The incorrect position is called wheel misalignment. Wheel misalignment leads to increased tire wear and fuel consumption and decreased control of the vehicle. Wheel misalignment can be due to components of a new truck setting in, bumps, potholes, suspension fatigue, or loading of the vehicle. It is therefore necessary to perform regular checks on the health of the vehicle.
If the truck owner decides to correct the problem of wheel misalignment, he has to take the vehicle to a service centre. The correction is done while the vehicle is at a standstill and without the extra weight of a cargo. The position of the wheel is then measured using alignment equipment. The position of the wheel is then altered by a technician till the values are within the recommended settings. Companies that perform wheel alignment commonly have a yearly check-up of their fleet. Midway the year, the truck wheels might already be misaligned, while the symptoms are too small to be noticed. This means that the truck might need to wait up to a year to be corrected.
This brings the need for onboard measurement equipment or dynamic alignment, to enable fleet operators to implement more effective maintenance programmes. The misalignment will be detected in an early phase, before causing too much damage to the tire. Dynamic alignment takes into consideration the loading pattern and dynamic behaviour of the vehicle whilst on the road, giving a more accurate measurement of the alignment angles.