Michael Cronje is the Transport Manager at JJC Skip Hire and the man responsible for keeping the fleet of 25 skip wagons (and a handful of road sweepers) fully fuelled. Each skip wagon weighs 8 tonnes alone and can carry a skip weighing another 16 tonnes when full. With so many thirsty wagons fuel consumption is high for the company. Michael estimates that JJC Skip Hire’s wagons and road sweepers use nearly 20,000 litres of fuel every two weeks. When fuel consumption is so high even a small reduction of just four pence per litre quickly equates to savings of around £800 every couple of weeks.
The Cumbrian company formerly operated out of two separate yards and used company fuel cards to fill the vehicles, a task which meant frequent stops to forecourts which were both slow and expensive. However, a recent move to a large single yard gave Michael the opportunity needed to replan the new site, increase the efficiency of operations and cut down the cost of fuel.
After making enquiries with a local fuel supplier Michael decided that onsite diesel storage and dispensing was the right solution for the company’s requirements. With two sites compacted into one, there was a tight site plan and it was decided that a 20,000 litre steel diesel dispensing tank (enough to fuel the fleet for two weeks before being resupplied) was the best compromise between storing enough fuel and maintaining a small footprint. Having won the tender, we asked the Transport Manager why he decided on the Tuffa team to manufacture the new tank:
“Tuffa came up trumps after offering a higher specification at a decent price. We chose Tuffa’s 20,000 litre tank as it was fully bunded and made with a 6mm thick steel making it extra safe which is particularly important with the truck drivers manoeuvring around the tank and the potential of it getting knocked. We opted for the high flow rate just to let our drivers fill as quickly as possible, and a 10 meter long hose which should cover drivers who just park anywhere, or even two trucks parking to fill up at once.”
Michael went on to explain that he ordered a Puisi Fuel Management System. This was partly due to the increased security with electronic tags which only allow the company’s drivers to fill up fuel (and track how much fuel each driver is using). However, the main advantage for JJC Skip Hire was that it would automatically send a notification to the fuel suppliers – e.g. when the tank is down to 3,000 litres, removing the need for manual input or error and making sure they never run out of fuel. As a requirement for a tank fitted with the Puisi FMS, the tank was also upgraded with a high-accuracy K44 pulsed flowmeter. However, the 10 micron water & particulate filter and the high-security cabinet with roller shutter door – which safely houses the ancillary equipment – came as standard.
With tank delivery and commissioning being “surprisingly simple” and having given the drivers a chance to use a full tank of fuel, we caught up with Michael to ask about his experience with the Tuffa team and the 20,000 litre diesel fuel station.
“Before we purchased the Tuffa tank our drivers had Shell cards and were frequently diverting to busy and expensive forecourts. Having a tank at the yard is much more convenient and with the fuel savings we expect the tank to pay for itself after just one year. The service from Tuffa was great, I dealt with Dee [Tuffa’s Senior Sales] throughout, she always responded quickly and professionally to my questions. We went with Tuffa for the price but we received the service to accompany it.”
Complete with 10 year guarantee, JJC Skip Hire’s new diesel dispensing tank will be a long-term and extremely valuable investment for the company. At the current rate of fuel consumption, the reliable steel diesel tank will store and dispense over one million litres of diesel within the next few years alone saving the company tens of thousands of pounds in the process. The skip company can rest assured in the knowledge that the tank is compatible with biofuels such as HVO which will become more popular to meet emission aims. Our steel diesel tanks are built with a 30 year design life so reaching 2050 and carbon net-zero isn’t as unrealistic as you might think.
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Member-created content 2 years ago | From members