Golden approval for Merridale – fuel management as it should be

Golden Boy Coaches marked its 40th anniversary in 2008 by opening a second depot close to its existing workshop and office facilities in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. As a home counties operator, Golden Boy mixes local bus services and luxury coaching.

The coaching side is focussed on bespoke services for high profile corporate clients, universities, language schools, special interest groups and sports clubs – including some work for Spurs, the local Champions League club.

[quote]When the guys from MIS Fuel Monitoring showed us the Merridale system, we were impressed. Information on usage was available on demand, wet stock levels were reconciled automatically and the reporting tools were easy to use. This was fuel management as it should be.[/quote]

“We do not compromise on quality,” explains fleet administrator, Andy Wing. We are audited against the ‘Coach Marque’ standard – and our entire fleet comprises high specification vehicles with an average age of less than five years.”

So when it comes to selecting garage equipment, Golden Boy is equally discerning. Choosing a fuelling point for the new depot provided the opportunity to review current technology on the market.

“Our previous fuel monitoring system was very ’clunky’, says Andy. “Whilst it did the job, the transactions were recorded onto a storage device which had to be transferred physically from the fuel point to the office computer in order to update our records.”

“When the guys from MIS Fuel Monitoring showed us the Merridale system, we were impressed. Information on usage was available on demand, wet stock levels were reconciled automatically and the reporting tools were easy to use. This was fuel management as it should be.”

As well as installing a complete tank and dispensing package at the new depot. Golden Boy decided to update its existing fuelling point also by replacing the pump with a Merridale integral pump/monitoring unit. Both fuelling points are managed centrally.

Having now logged two years the Merridale system has proved to be entirely reliable.

“Andy concludes by saying that there has only been one occasion when the fuelling point needed urgent service support and that was because of a careless mistake. Apart from some embarrassment, there was no harm done and the backup fuelling point ensured operations continued without disruption.”