FreshDirect choose Merridale for reliability

A nationwide leader in fresh produce wholesale has recently highlighted Merridale’s reliability after they upgraded their fuelling system to a Merridale MX-P twin, a heavy-duty ATEX-certified fuel pump.

FreshDirect have been sourcing and delivering the best quality fruit and vegetables for over 50 years, from their depots in Bicester, Dagenham, Wigan, and Corby. With a fleet of over 70 vehicles and an annual fuel bill of over £1.25 million, they must have a fuel management and refuelling system that they can trust to deliver.

Brian Fielding, who handles the fleet from their base in Bicester said “We previously had a Merridale fuel management system in place but ran it through a third-party pump. It wasn’t long before this broke down and became unusable. After experiencing two previous Merridale installations and knowing how dependable they have been, I insisted that we replace the third-party pump with one of Merridale’s and get the whole system singing in unison.

"After experiencing two previous Merridale installations and knowing how dependable they have been, I insisted that we replace the third-party pump with one of Merridale’s and get the whole system singing in unison."

Unfortunately, Merridale have witnessed several occasions where the manufacturer of the fuel management system and the manufacturer of the fuel pump are not the same. This may not always be a big deal, but these hybrid solutions rarely have the same level of support or operational life as systems that have been designed to work in tandem and built by the same company. These will inevitably be more efficient, accurate, and reliable than you would expect a ‘pick and mix’ system to be.

Alongside their new Merridale MX-P twin pump, FreshDirect still has their Merridale Auditor GX fuel management system, updated to work with Merridale’s web-based software, FuelWorks.
Merridale FuelWorks is the choice of many large fleet operators and local authorities, with over 1400 sites already in the UK. Each week more fleet operators switch to FuelWorks, taking advantage of this low-cost subscription-based service, securely hosted by Merridale.

The ability of FuelWorks to be accessed through a web browser on any device gives the user complete flexibility and accessibility, eliminating the need for any software to be installed on office computers. This means that users can access the vital data they require, from anywhere, at any time. FuelWorks can also monitor tank levels and predict low stock, sending email alerts as needed.

The software has been designed in-house by Merridale to be as user-friendly as possible, without sacrificing any functionality. Merridale also offers unrivaled levels of support and training, with initial training being available remotely, and a helpdesk on hand to offer ongoing support.

Other features include secure encrypted HTTPS connections, multiple users across multiple sites, real-time capabilities, a range of reporting features (including fuel, cost, vehicle and driver performance, and environmental impact), tank stock reconciliation and costing, stock low prediction and email alerts.

On FuelWorks, Brian said “I’ve found the software to be brilliant since I inherited it when I joined FreshDirect. It does exactly what it says on the tin and more, there are features I am yet to use. For us, the ability to have all of our depot’s data in one place saves on plenty of man-hours but more importantly it gives us useful data on our vehicles MPG and economic performance.”

Fleet operators who wish to upgrade existing Merridale equipment to use FuelWorks need not worry about replacing existing hardware to do so. Merridale can upgrade most existing systems to make them compatible with FuelWorks, no matter how old the system is.

To find out how Merridale FuelWorks could benefit your company, contact Merridale on 01902 350 700 or visit www.merridale.co.uk.