As the economy picks up many operators are taking the opportunity to update their depot facilities. Of particular importance is the IT support - enabling management the visibility they need to keep one step ahead of their competitors.
A recent investment by Tooles Transport of Droitwich, involved the upgrade of its depot fuelling point to implement Merridale FuelWorks, a web-based fuel management solution developed by MIS Fuel Monitoring of Wolverhampton.
Now the information for the entire fleet is readily available from any Internet web browser. The status report provides an alert as our stock reaches the re-order level. In addition to the depot tank, our drivers also use bunker cards for external fuelling. Data from the card transactions are also imported directly into the Merridale software so we now have a complete record.
The system is used in conjunction with the Merridale Auditor unit and vLink data transfer cable, making Tooles Transport the first haulage fleet operator to adopt this configuration. Based on proven ‘proximity tag’ technology, it features a magnetic ‘snap on and quick release’ sensor, which enables the fuelling control software to recognise an authorised vehicle via a vLink ID plate.
A memory device within the plate is updated on completion of the transaction. Effectively the cable replaces the need for individual fuelling keys. In operation the driver simply connects the sensor head onto the Vplate mounted on the truck.
Fuelling is authorised by entering the vehicle mileage and driver PIN onto the Auditor unit keyboard. Details of the transaction are then recorded automatically and uploaded to the Merridale FuelWorks for analysis and reports.
“Our previous set up relied on manual records,” explained finance manager, Paul Easden. “With over seventy vehicles in the fleet, keeping track on the fuel drawn and reconciling this with our stock records was a time-consuming process.
“Now the information for the entire fleet is readily available from any Internet web browser. The status report provides an alert as our stock reaches the re-order level. In addition to the depot tank, our drivers also use bunker cards for external fuelling. Data from the card transactions are also imported directly into the Merridale software so we now have a complete record.
“We have found that there are frequent errors on the card accounts because there is less care taken in recording mileage. By bringing this all together we can check mileage against depot fuelling to maintain the accuracy of the database.
Paul concludes. “Thanks to the Merridale system, we now have absolute control of our fuel stocks. Our depot fuel usage alone is worth around £250,000 a year so this investment was a small price to pay for peace of mind.”
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