Advanced Fuel Truck Management Systems

Public Transit Fueling Challenges

In the particular case of public transit operations, the simplest solution is the most effective, efficient, and trouble free. Where some would offer relatively complicated setups with nozzle tags (active ones being the worst), the best solution is actually quite simple yet elegant: RFID plates on top of the bus, read by a long-range reader on the ceiling.

It just makes sense: buses within a given transit authority tend to be very similar, and they are always positioned the same way in the gas bay when being serviced. This predictability makes it easy to properly place long-range readers and RFID plates.

Also, given there can only be one bus at a time in a service lane, namely the identified bus, the system can automatically unlock all compatible products. This eliminates the need to identify a different pump each time a different fluid needs to be dispensed.

Public Works Fueling Challenges

A public works operation potentially presents a fairly complex set of elements. Firstly, whether directly or indirectly, it uses taxpayer dollars to run. Since that money is used to purchase fuel, a great degree of control and reporting capability is required, as public scrutiny is part of the game.

Furthermore, cities typically deal with unions, so firing or reprimanding workers who do not go along some change, like implementing a new fuel management system, is often not an option. Therefore, you may require a system to be as automated and “out of the way” as possible.

Mining Fueling Challenges

Above and beyond the standard features and functions, any system installed in a mining operation needs to do two things: be tough enough for the often rough environment, and make sure that crucial equipment never, ever runs out of fuel.

Dust, mud, water, ice, snow… none of these elements is favorable to the type of electronics involved in fuel management systems. This means that whichever system you decide to go with has to have a good track record of operating in extreme conditions. Also, users in the mining industry are not necessarily the …gentlest folks… when it comes to the equipment they use. For instance, you shouldn’t be too surprised if you see a mine employee breaking ice on a vehicle with a fuel nozzle!

Also, very often, miners operate in remote areas. Power for everything, from machinery to climate control inside facilities, comes from diesel powered generators. In this context, tight fuel management is mission critical and cannot be taken lightly. On top of tracking fueling operations, a FMS needs to monitor generator fuel levels and send alarms and notifications if levels are low or if a leak is detected.

Construction Fueling Challenges

Imagine: you have one or a few fixed fueling sites and you have found a system to manage the pumps. You have transactional data captured and relayed in real-time, and you enjoy all the benefits of a fuel management system. But what happens when there are several small tanks that go out on the field in the back of regular pickup trucks, where they dispense fuel to different vehicles and equipment, and you have no clear idea of where it goes. Not ideal, is it?

Small day tanks represent a challenge that is fairly common in the construction industry. Keeping track of those tanks can be rather crucial, depending on the number of them rolling around out there. Installing a traditional mobile fuel management system on each of those pickup trucks is simply not an option, as doing so would be way too cost prohibitive. So when a firm in such a situation shops for a system for its fixed fueling sites, it needs to keep in mind that any potential supplier must also provide an inexpensive way of tracking fuel distribution in the field while still retaining the automated aspect of a traditional system.

These were simply a few examples of segment specific challenges, and there are way more across a wide array of industries. The cookie cutter approach is completely sub-optimal. Contact us today to discover how SM2 Fuel can adapt to your particular needs and requirements. Thanks for watching and until next time, keep it efficient.