JDC Transport Go for Gold With Merridale’s Help

The Stoke-on-Trent based company started as suppliers of parts and servicing to the haulage industry before being encouraged to gain an operator’s license and purchase their first artic vehicle in order to assist a customer with a contract in 2006. After nearly 20 years of growth, their fleet now consists of over 25 vehicles ranging from pickups to articulated lorries.

Emma Titterton, JDC’s Transport Administrator, told us “Our previous tank gauge stopped working so we knew that needed to be replaced but we were also without proper means of reporting. Before Merridale, I was taking manual readings and having to put together my own figures in order to try and work out what had been put in the tank, taken out and what was left in. I only ever really had a rough figure of what was in the tank as I was constantly relying on the accuracy of the data I’d been given by drivers and the people who deliver to us.”

Getting alerts when the tank is low has been the biggest help for me so far. It’s no longer a constant worry and there is no need for me to go and check the contents of the tank.

“There were times we ran dangerously close to running out because estimations and reality didn’t quite match. It had got to the point where it just wasn’t feasible anymore and when the tank gauge broke, we decided it was time to invest in a complete package.”

As well as having a Merridale MX-T tank management system installed, JDC Transport also chose to use a Merridale MX-M fuel management system and Merridale FuelWorks reporting software to benefit further from features such as fuel stock prediction, automatic delivery detection, low-level warnings, and order prompts, all accessible on any web-enabled device. As well as this, Merridale FuelWorks allows fleet operators to setup multiple users across multiple sites to access unrivalled reporting features including fuel, cost, environmental impact, and vehicle and driver performance.

The FORS Gold awarded fleet operator has already noticed positive differences just from having such valuable data readily available.

“Getting alerts when the tank is low has been the biggest help for me so far. It’s no longer a constant worry and there is no need for me to go and check the contents of the tank. I get an email when stock reaches a certain level, giving me more than enough time to order a delivery.”

“We will really see a difference when we start our FORS reporting this summer but in the six months we’ve had our Merridale system I’ve been displaying the figures, such as vehicle MPGs, as these were previously unknown. Even though nothing has ever been mentioned by the drivers it has sparked something of a competition for everyone to get their stats up. Everyone has become that little bit more conscious and none of them like seeing their number plate doing badly on the wall.”

Merridale FuelWorks can now produce FORS reports as standard. To find out how our web-based software can assist your fuel management process, contact Merridale on 01902 350700 or visit www.merridale.co.uk.