Like most medium size haulage firms, Hayward Transport of Walsall operates in a competitive sector where margins are tight and working capital has to be managed actively to optimise profitability.
Next to the wage bill, fuel accounts for largest proportion of the operating costs. The company runs a fleet of 50 articulated vehicles and trailers. Fuelling is covered by external fuel card accounts, backed up by depot facilities. These are controlled by a Merridale commercial pump dispenser with integrated electronic monitoring . The pump is connected to two tanks providing a total storage capacity of 90K litres.
[quote]“Accuracy is crucial and the main advantages of the Merridale system are the ability to track usage and make sensible purchasing decisions because we can manage our depot stock more efficiently.“ [/quote]
“We tend to replenish with 30K loads when the stock level gets down to about 9K,”explains fleet administrator, Julie Hales.
“Accuracy is crucial and the main advantages of the Merridale system are the ability to track usage and make sensible purchasing decisions because we can manage our depot stock more efficiently . There is a constant need to balance external (bunker) fuel credits and depot capacity. So having better visibility of the depot fuel status is a major benefit to help control costs and plan ahead.”
In addition to its Merridale facilities, Hayward Transport has taken fuel management a step further by introducing a web-based vehicle monitoring system. This is a telematics facility which combines satellite navigation tracking with data from the vehicle engine management system. It provides a more detailed analysis of specific shifts and journeys recording a profile covering driving style and stationary idling time.