Fueltek case study · Tanker & mobile operations
Cobo Tankers
A bespoke plug-and-play monitoring package engineered for tanker integration.
Cobo Tankers needed Fueltek monitoring technology to become part of the tanker build itself rather than a conventional wall or pedestal installation. The equipment also had to be prepared for shipment to Spain and installation by Cobo’s own engineers.
Sector context image
Project approach
From operational problem to working system.
Cobo’s project required a bespoke tanker-mounted package that its own engineers could install in Spain.
Adapt fixed-site technology for a mobile tanker build
- Fuel and tank monitoring hardware had to integrate physically and electrically with Cobo-manufactured tankers.
- The system needed to produce dependable operational data while working in a mobile environment.
- Units had to arrive ready for overseas installation rather than require a normal Fueltek site installation.
Engineer a tanker-ready FT4000 and TankWatch package
- Adapted the FT4000 into a bespoke format suitable for mounting directly to Cobo’s tanker builds.
- Added TankWatch to provide stock, capacity, movement and throughput information.
- Developed a plug-and-play approach so completed units could be shipped to Spain and connected by Cobo’s engineers.
Project in context
The brief, explained in more detail.
The project brought together the equipment and operating processes described below. Explore how the installation worked and the considerations for a similar system at your site.
Fueltek technology inside the tanker build.
Cobo Tankers needed fuel and tank monitoring to become part of its tanker build. A conventional wall-mounted or pedestal installation would not meet that requirement: the equipment had to fit the tanker’s physical and electrical arrangement and operate in a mobile environment.
Fueltek adapted the FT4000 into a bespoke tanker-mounted format and combined it with TankWatch monitoring for stock, available capacity, movement and throughput information. The work focused on integrating the monitoring package with Cobo’s manufacturing process rather than supplying a standard fixed-site installation.
The completed units were prepared as a plug-and-play package for shipment to Spain and connection by Cobo’s engineers. This division of work made the equipment interface and installation approach central to the project. For another tanker build, the mounting, interfaces and equipment configuration would need to be reviewed against the vehicle and its operating requirements.
System architecture
How the Fueltek layers worked together.
A fuel-management project normally has several distinct jobs to do: physically store or dispense product, decide who is allowed to use it, measure what is held in storage, and turn activity into information that managers can review. The cards below show the roles of the systems connected with this case study.
FT4000
Authorised dispensing and transaction control
The FT4000 is the control layer at the fuelling point. It can be used to authorise dispensing, associate a transaction with an approved user or vehicle and create a structured transaction record instead of leaving the pump as an isolated piece of equipment. Where the project configuration captures additional fields such as mileage or identification data, those details can sit alongside the quantity dispensed so later reporting has operational context.
Explore FT4000 →TankWatch
Independent tank-level and stock monitoring
TankWatch measures what is physically held in the storage tank using tank probes and a local control layer. That gives the operator information such as current stock, available capacity, deliveries, stock movements and throughputs. It complements pump transaction data because it answers a different question: the pump records what the system says was dispensed, while tank monitoring measures what is actually happening in storage.
Explore TankWatch →FMO software
Browser-based reporting and multi-site visibility
Fueltek FMO provides the reporting and management layer above the field equipment. Depending on the installed configuration, authorised users can review fuel activity, run reports and manage information across users, vehicles, pumps or depots. On multi-site projects this is particularly important because it allows several physical locations to be viewed through one consistent reporting structure rather than as isolated fuel stations.
Explore FMO software →Operational workflow
From fuel on site to usable information.
The steps below explain the roles of the technologies discussed in this project. The exact operating sequence depends on the equipment and identification process specified for the installation.
Store & receive
Bulk product is received into the site storage arrangement. Tank capacity, product compatibility and delivery access are part of the physical specification before the management system can add useful control.
Authorise
The managed dispensing layer checks that the user or vehicle is permitted to draw fuel before the transaction proceeds. The exact identification method depends on the project configuration.
Dispense & record
Fuel is dispensed through the managed pump or controller. The quantity dispensed becomes a transaction record rather than remaining only as a mechanical pump total.
Measure stock independently
TankWatch measures the physical tank level. This gives the operator a second information source for stock, deliveries and movements alongside the pump transaction record.
Review & report
The reporting layer brings field data into a browser-accessible management view so authorised users can review activity without standing at the pump.
Planning a similar project
What should be defined before specification.
The case-study equipment should not be copied blindly. A new installation needs to be sized and configured around the actual operation. These are the main questions We need to understand before choosing the appropriate hardware and software.
Fuel & storage
Which products are stored? What is the expected daily usage, peak usage, delivery frequency and reserve requirement? These answers influence tank capacity and whether multiple compartments are appropriate.
Vehicles & dispensing
Vehicle type, fill-point position, desired flow rate, hose reach and simultaneous fuelling demand determine the practical pump, hose and nozzle arrangement.
Access & accountability
Define whether authorisation should be tied to a driver, vehicle, department, contractor or another operational identity, and what information needs to be captured with each transaction.
Tank visibility
Decide what the site needs to know about physical stock: current level, ullage, deliveries, movement, alarms and how that information should be reconciled with pump transactions.
Reporting & users
Identify who needs reports, whether the organisation is single-site or multi-site, which managers need local or central access and what exceptions should be easy to investigate.
Installation & handover
Existing equipment, electrical and data connections, vehicle movements, groundwork, commissioning windows, staff training and any fixed go-live date all affect the delivery plan.
Apply the learning
What to take into your own project.
For a similar OEM project, define the mechanical mounting, electrical interface, installation responsibility and required operating records early. Those interfaces determine how the monitoring package can become part of the customer’s own build process.
Read the project outcome →Case-study FAQ
Project detail and specification questions.
These answers separate the recorded facts of this case study from the decisions that would need to be made for a new installation.
What was the main issue this tanker & mobile operations project needed to solve?
Adapt fixed-site technology for a mobile tanker build. Fuel and tank monitoring hardware had to integrate physically and electrically with Cobo-manufactured tankers. The system needed to produce dependable operational data while working in a mobile environment.
Which Fueltek systems are connected with this case study?
This project brought together FT4000, TankWatch and FMO software. Each system has a distinct role in fuel control, storage, monitoring or reporting.
Why use both pump records and tank monitoring where both are installed?
They measure different parts of the operation. Managed dispensing records the authorised transaction at the pump, while tank monitoring measures physical stock and movements in storage. Reviewing both gives the operator more context than either source on its own.
Would a new project use exactly the same specification?
Not automatically. A similar project should be specified around fuel type, storage capacity, peak dispensing demand, hose reach, user and vehicle access, communications, reporting requirements, installation constraints and any existing equipment that is suitable to retain.
What should be defined before a site survey or quotation?
Useful starting information includes the products to be stored, approximate daily and peak usage, current tank and pump details, vehicle types, required flow rate, number of users or vehicles, preferred access method, reporting expectations, communications available at the site and any installation or handover deadline.
Project outcome
What changed.
The project demonstrated how Fueltek hardware could be re-engineered around a specialist OEM application rather than forcing the customer into a standard fixed-site format.
Relevant Fueltek systems
Explore the technology used.
Equipment is specified around the site, fuels, users, reporting requirements and existing infrastructure. The links below show the closest current Fueltek product areas connected with this project.
Plan your own system
Have a similar operational challenge?
Fueltek can review your tanks, pumps, vehicles, users, reporting requirements and existing equipment before recommending the most practical route forward.
