The uncomfortable truth no one tells you.
For years, the transport industry has sought the best way to identify tires within fleets: tattoos, economic numbers, QR codes, stamps on the hubs, and more recently, tags RFID.
The promise sounds attractive: “read the tire without contact, gain more control, and prevent theft.” But the reality is very different.
Today I can tell you something with complete certainty:
RFID is NOT the future of tires. And not only is it not the future—it is a technology that, when applied to tires, simply does not work.
I’m not saying this out of competition or theory:
In At Quinta Tech, we invested time, money, and thousands of tests into RFID, and although we lost a lot, we gained something more valuable: the experience to avoid making the same mistake again.
Why does RFID fail in tires?
1. Because it is a weak passive technology by nature
The RFID used in tires is the same type of tag that works for passing toll booths or entering a gated community.
And even then… how many times have you had to back up because the barrier didn’t detect you?
If that happens under ideal conditions, imagine it inside a tire.
The windshield does not block the signal.
But a tire does.
2. Metal is its worst enemy (and a tire is almost entirely metal)
What almost no one explains is that RFID does not work well with metal.
And a truck tire…
- It has steel belts
- metal layers
- Metal hoops
- Internal structures that generate interference
The result:
Inconsistent, weak, and frustrating readings.
Reading an RFID tag on a tire is harder than finding a number tattooed with permanent marker. And that's literal.
3. Factory-integrated" RFID doesn't solve the problem either.
Some tire brands have begun to include RFID inside the rubber.
This helps a little, because the tag is protected, fixed, and doesn't move.
But even with special antennas, readers, and years of trying, reading remains:
- Slow
- Inconsistent
- Position dependent
- Uncomfortable for the operator
Is it better than glued-on RFID? Yes.
Is it suitable for a real operation? No.
4. RFID tags stuck to the sidewall of the tire: the biggest scam.
This is the worst of all.
At Quinta we bought thousands of these tags.
We glued them.
We tried them.
We installed them exactly as the supplier said.
The result after weeks or months?
- The tags fall off
- They break
- They bend
- They are deactivated
- They come loose with vibration and heat
And the most insulting thing:
The supplier will blame you.
Whether the installation was faulty.
That "the surface was not prepared properly".
That it "hit in the wrong place".
No.
The problem is not you.
El problema es que esta tecnología NO fue hecha para las llantasand selling it as such is deceiving the customer.
In our office we have more than 3,000 new RFID tags that we stopped selling because it would be disrespectful to offer something we know doesn't work.
So… what does work?
Traditional marking
- It's easy
- It's cheap
- It is consistent
- It is consistent
If your alternative is RFID, you're better off sticking with conventional marking.
Real-time tire telemetry (the true future)
Tires don't need to be "better identified".
Necesitan cuidarse solas.
Necesitan alertarte en tiempo real.
No una vez al mes.
No cuando alguien entra al patio.
No cuando alguien las revisa manualmente.
You need to know:
- Pressure
- Temperature
- Leaks
- Distance traveled
- Burden
- Actual condition
- Tire changes
- Critical events
- Immediate alerts
RFID doesn't provide that.
But smart telemetry does provide that information.
At Quinta Tech we've already come a long way:
- Factory RFID
- tags attached
- Tattoos and markings
- Applications to speed up reviews
- Bluetooth depth gauges
- Traffic lights
And the conclusion is clear:
Tires are too important not to see them in real time.
The truth: RFID is not the future of tires.
Telemetry, yes.**
If you want to know how they work smart tires that take care of themselvesWith real data and AI that prevents accidents, leaks and unnecessary expenses, we are the only ones in Latin America who have already gone through all the technologies… and we know which ones actually work.
Enter the future of tire management.
Find us and schedule a Quinta Tech demo.
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