Following a strategic review of its depot fuelling facilities, J C Balls & Sons has implemented the Merridale FuelWorks management web service. The Belper-based company provides earth moving machinery plant hire, concrete delivery and materials recycling services to construction customers throughout the East Midlands region. Its road transport fleet comprises mostly tipper lorries, service vans and construction plant support vehicles.
“We have over 50 vehicles and currently our overall usage for Derv is running at around 72k litres a month,” explains plant manager, Paul Brooks.
“Fuel costs are an important element for pricing new contracts and this needs good quality data to calculate the potential profitability of any new business opportunities.
“As well as providing additional security, the Merridale system has improved management control by providing more detailed fuel usage reports. All fuelling transactions are now recorded automatically. The data is downloaded and processed by Merridale FuelWorks against specific operational requirements in cost accounting or fleet management.
“For example, by analysing vehicle mpg performance, we can track efficiency and this relates also to our CO2 emission or the carbon footprint of the transport fleet. As well as simply authorising and dispensing fuel, the system provides a continuous update on stock levels for security and to ensure the integrity of the fuel storage tanks.
Paul Brooks continues. “Having a clear understanding on transport costs is a significant advantage when bidding for new contracts. In the future, we expect that other factors, such as carbon measurement will also become important credentials, especially for work within urban areas.”
Installing a replacement diesel pump was relatively straightforward since the previous set up was already located on a fuelling island. This allows easy access for a Merridale twin dispenser, incorporating a high flow pump serving the HGVs on one side, and a standard pump on the other side, for vans and cars.
In operation, the driver uses a proximity fob to identify the vehicle being fuelled. The odometer mileage reading must be entered on the keypad to authorise the transaction. This information, together with the date and amount drawn is recorded by the Merridale FuelWorks service.
