A F Blakemore trust Merridale with seventh site

A F Blakemore & Son, a leading wholesale and distribution company, have recently installed Merridale systems at their seventh depot.

The family-owned business from Willenhall, West Midlands, which began in 1917 as a counter-service grocery store, is now the largest division of Spar UK and employs more than 7,000 people. Their fleet includes over 200 HGVs and costs over £8 million a year, so monitoring their fuel usage is essential.

With four of their depots still using original Merridale Auditors, and two since upgrading to their Merridale MX counterparts, A F Blakemore & Son have opted for the full Merridale MX range at the new Bedford site. This includes an MX-I integral fuel pump and management system, an MX-P fuel pump, an MX-M stand-alone fuel management system, and an MX-T tank management system.

When I started in 2008, we were initially using a different company’s system whose software worked on a single network. We wanted to move to a web-based system that we could access more readily and found Merridale’s FuelWorks.

David Higgs, Logistics Compliance Manager, said “When I started in 2008, we were initially using a different company’s system whose software worked on a single network. We wanted to move to a web-based system that we could access more readily and found Merridale’s FuelWorks.”

FuelWorks, Merridale’s number-one solution to fuel management reporting in the UK, is the choice of many large fleet operators and local authorities, with over 1500 sites already taking advantage of this low-cost subscription-based service. This means that approximately 16 million litres of fuel during 160,000 fuelling transactions are accounted for each week using Merridale FuelWorks web-based software.

The ability of FuelWorks to be accessed through any standard web browser across multiple platforms gives the user complete flexibility and accessibility. This eliminates the need for software to be installed on office computers and avoids any extensive training, security, and backup issues for the user. This also means that users can access the vital data they require from anywhere and at any time, something that has become an even greater necessity as more companies now permit their administration staff to work from home. 

The software has been designed in-house by Merridale to be as user-friendly as possible, without sacrificing any functionality. This package is under constant review and is updated based upon customer feedback on a regular basis. Merridale also offers unrivalled levels of support and training, with initial training being available remotely, and a helpdesk on hand to offer ongoing support. 

On this, David said “FuelWorks is very simple to use. It’s so easy to pull reports off, to add new drivers or vehicles, it’s just an easy system to work with. But if there is ever something I need support with, Merridale are always quick to answer my calls and have solved the problem straight away.”

FuelWorks can also monitor tank levels and predict low stock, sending email alerts as needed and SMS texts in the event of severe leak or theft. Other features of FuelWorks 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) and tank stock reconciliation and costing.

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 a Merridale fuel and tank management system could benefit your company, contact Merridale on 01902 350 700 or visit www.merridale.co.uk.