An air compressor is not required but is certainly a recommended item to have if you are going to use an air ride product. If your truck does not already have air onboard, most any portable air compressor designed to fill a truck tire will work great as long as it can produce air pressure from 80psi to 120psi depending on the hitch needed and the coach you're pulling. A standard tire fill valve is used on the topside of the air spring to fill it with air so it is just like filling a tire.