NE Transport Solutions run a fleet of over 50 HGVs ranging from 44-tonne Arctics to 7-tonne trucks and a mixture of flatbeds, curtain siders and box vehicles with heavy lifting forklifts providing additional support. Around half the fleet consists of container curtain sides and runs general haulage. The other half pulls Tesco’s trailers as their main haulage supplier.
Zoltan, NE Transport Solutions Transport Manager, explained that after a lull in business during the first lockdown freight requirements had really picked up. To improve and grow their operations, NE Transport Solutions pumped the increased revenue back into the business with a new workshop for daily service and maintenance and a new diesel dispensing tank.
The freight company’s old 45,000L diesel tank was about 25-30 years old. Zoltan described how ‘very basic’ the tank was. Gauging the fuel levels required some time to access the top of a tank via a ladder and use a dipstick, and that only gave a vague idea. The lack of any fuel management system meant there wasn’t a digital record of fuel usage with drivers writing their mileage with pen and paper to be typed up later.
With the old tank approaching the end of its usable life and the lack of a gauge or fuel management creating unnecessary work for the crew, Zoltan entered the market for an upgraded tank.
“We shopped around and made some enquiries with tank manufacturers. Tuffa were always quick to respond, had excellent customer service and had slightly shorter lead times. The tank was a good price too, not the cheapest of all the quotes but it was worth paying a little more for better specs and additional equipment.”
Zoltan chose our 50,000L steel diesel dispensing tank with standard specifications and customisations including:
- 53,400L safe working capacity
- Integrally bunded including the tank’s base (i.e. not a common bottom tank)
- 1m full end walk-in cabinet with roller shutter door
- 10 micron water & particulate filter
- K44 pulse meter
- Control panel
- C2020 contents gauge with bund alarm
- Fuel management system (MC Box) with 60 user keys (optional extra)
- 10m delivery hose with self-retracting hose reel (optional extra)
- High flow pump (optional extra)
With NE Transport Solutions arranging transportation and installation of the new tank, we caught up with Zoltan to see how it was performing:
“I’m very happy, the new Tuffa tank is simple to use and a huge improvement on the old one. We’re currently in the process of going digital and with the new fuel management system there is no more paperwork required. It’s also saving on labour on tasks such as taking wet stock levels. We used to have to calculate annual fuel usage and average fuel consumptions which meant adding up wads of paperwork but now it takes seconds for simple export and boom jobs done. Each driver and lorry have its own key or code so we can work out exactly how much fuel they are using. We’re suddenly using less fuel now – the new system is more secure.”
The fuel management system wasn’t the only thing saving time and effort. Zoltan explained that while most of their lorry units have the fuel tank on the left-hand side, the newer lorries have them on the right. The 10m hose reel accommodates the drivers’ refuelling with the diesel tank on any side. When there are 15 lorries waiting to refuel at the same time, not having to swing the lorries around makes a real difference. As does the high flow pump “couple of minutes, boom jobs done”.
The extra capacity and accurate contents gauge are also helping to improve fuel security. NE Transport use around 3,000L to 4,000L of fuel per day during weekdays and up to 8,000L on weekends. However, the freight company get weekly fuel drops to avoid any diesel shortages caused by unpredictable events. Zoltan gave the example of the recent fuel protesters who blocked Dartford Crossing (near NE Transport’s depot) which led to the freight company running out of fuel and having to use diesel cards. This was more expensive and time-consuming. With the extra capacity tank and weekly fills, Zoltan calculates they should have 1-2 weeks fuel at any time which mitigates the risk of running out of fuel altogether and eliminates the reliance on forecourts.
Zoltan also praised Tuffa’s Aftersales care and Quality Manager Cheryl. While the tank’s installation was simple, requiring only a solid base and 230V electrical connection, with the first fuel drop it became apparent that the gauge was not displaying the correct volumes. Zoltan immediately reported the issue and was impressed with the speed it was resolved when an engineer we contracted visited the site two days later to recalibrate the gauge.
The new tank is now fully operational and is providing secure storage and quicker dispensing with accurate digital data. NE Transport Solutions is continuing to invest in improving their operations and Zoltan has already eyed up his next Tuffa purchase with a new high-capacity AdBlue tank which will no doubt give him plenty more reasons to say ‘boom, jobs done.’
Tuffa’s diesel tanks are available in capacities up to 30,000L in plastic and 100,000L in steel while AdBlue tanks are available in capacities up to 15,000L. Both systems are designed and manufactured to be low-maintenance and extremely durable with a high spec as standard. A range of optional extras including a fuel management system, hose reel, high flow pumps and a 12V/24V pump can customise the tank to meet site-specific requirements.
Find out more about Tuffa Tanks on their member profile page here
Member-created content 1 year ago | From members