Buy and review fuel on your terms
Bulk purchasing can reduce exposure to forecourt pricing, while transaction and tank records give managers better evidence for reviewing usage, deliveries, stock movement and unexplained variances.
Industry solution
Distribution depot fuelling Built around dispatch.
Manage depot fuel for tractor units, rigid vehicles, vans, yard shunters and support equipment with fast authorised dispensing and central transaction reporting. Fueltek systems can be configured around high vehicle movement and strict dispatch schedules.
Distribution operations need fuel to be available at the right time without turning the fuel island into a bottleneck. Accurate user and vehicle records also help management compare depots, investigate exceptions and understand how fuel is being consumed across the network.
Understanding the operation
Keep the fuel island aligned with dispatch.
Distribution centres often experience sharp peaks around shift changes, trunk departures and vehicle handovers. Drivers may use several depots, agency staff may join the operation and yard equipment may share the same storage infrastructure as road vehicles.
We can create a consistent authorisation and reporting process across these different users and assets. The system can record each transaction at source and present the information by vehicle, driver, depot, fleet group or reporting period.
Throughput should be assessed across the complete visit: queueing, identification, vehicle positioning, dispensing and exit. A faster pump is only one part of an efficient fuel island.
Benefits for logistics fleets
Keep vehicles moving. Keep fuel accountable.
Onsite fuel management can reduce dependence on public forecourts, put refuelling closer to the dispatch operation and create a dependable record of every controlled dispense. The strongest results come from treating storage, dispensing, identification, tank monitoring and reporting as one connected process.
Refuel around dispatch
Keeping fuel onsite removes routine journeys to external filling stations. The island, access method and dispenser flow can be specified around trunk departures, shift changes and real peak demand.
Authorise the right driver and vehicle
Individual credentials, vehicle identification and transaction histories improve accountability. Exceptions can be reviewed by user, vehicle, location, product, quantity and time instead of relying on shared keys or paper logs.
Plan diesel, AdBlue and compatible alternatives
Where vehicles, storage and dispensing equipment are suitable, a depot can be planned for diesel, AdBlue and compatible alternatives such as HVO or GTL. Product compatibility and current storage requirements must be confirmed before installation.
Typical operational problems
Resolve the pressure points around dispatch.
High vehicle movement at shift change
A large number of vehicles may need fuel within a short operational window. Delays can affect loading slots, driver hours, trunk connections and yard congestion.
Large and changing driver populations
Permanent, agency and visiting drivers may all require controlled access. Shared credentials weaken accountability and make it harder to investigate unusual transactions.
Tight dispatch schedules
Drivers need a simple process that records the necessary information without adding avoidable steps before departure.
Comparing sites and vehicle usage
Different depots may use different naming, tank and reporting practices. Management needs consistent data to compare performance and identify where further investigation is required.
Day-to-day workflow
From the fuel island back to loading and dispatch.
1. Identify driver and vehicle
The driver uses an authorised credential and selects or confirms the vehicle receiving fuel.
2. Capture the required reading
Mileage, fleet number or another configured value can be requested where it supports the reporting process.
3. Dispense at the correct island
The pump is released, the measured quantity is recorded and the driver continues to loading or dispatch.
4. Consolidate depot information
Transactions from connected sites can be reviewed centrally by depot, vehicle, driver, product and time period.
Relevant capabilities
Match dispensing and data across the depot network.
Twin or high-speed dispensing
Compare two simultaneous dispensing positions with a high-speed diesel point against actual arrivals, fill volumes and vehicle circulation. Twin and HSP address different requirements; we assess the complete island before confirming the equipment.
FT4000 identification and control
Where existing pumps are suitable, standalone control can create an authorised record for road vehicles and yard equipment. Define the process for permanent, agency and visiting drivers, including what happens when a reading or identifier is unavailable.
FMO transaction and ID views
Review fuel by the depot, driver and vehicle recorded at the point of issue. Agree common site and asset names before bringing depots together, while retaining the access arrangements each location needs.
Tankwatch and tank visibility
Use tank monitoring to review stock, deliveries and movements alongside recorded issues. Confirm each tank’s probe arrangement, communications and reporting integration, then agree who reviews stock and plans replenishment.
Operational value
Connect dispatch activity with accountable fuel records.
Smoother peak operationReduce avoidable identification and dispensing delays at busy times.
Traceable transactionsConnect fuel issues to the correct driver, vehicle and depot.
Network visibilityCompare connected depots using a consistent reporting structure.
Exception investigationFind unusual quantities, timings or repeated activity more quickly.
Customer projects
Proven across complex supply operations.
Our logistics projects include a ten-site equipment migration and replacement and new infrastructure for GRS Roadstone, with an installation plan for each operating location.
Thirteen tanks across a nationwide programme
For a nationwide construction-materials supply-chain business, Fueltek planned replacement and new infrastructure across multiple operating sites.
- Eight 30,000-litre and five 25,000-litre bunded tanks
- Twelve FT4000 systems with FMO software
- Eight TankWatch systems plus Datatag and DataNozzle access
For your project: which tanks and fuel points need replacement, which are new, and how will monitoring fit across them? Record the operating locations and the number of tanks at each so the scope is clear.
Read the GRS Roadstone case studyEquipment migration across ten working sites
Fowler Welch needed ageing fuel management equipment updated while its existing network remained part of daily operations.
- Ten individual locations with different equipment requirements
- FT4000 systems supported by Tankwatch monitoring
- Changeovers coordinated to limit operational disruption
For your project: agree the operating window and equipment requirement for each location before scheduling the network rollout. Discuss acceptable interruptions with the operations team at each depot.
Read the Fowler Welch case studyA comparable result is not automatic: tank capacity, product demand, vehicle mix, network coverage, driver process and site constraints must be assessed for each depot.
Implementation approach
Map the shift. Plan the depot changeover.
Your site enquiry can include the shift and dispatch pattern, the busiest refuelling period, the mix of road vehicles and yard equipment, and the access process used by agency or visiting drivers. For a network upgrade, include the equipment and communications available at each depot and the naming used in central reports.
- Measure actual peak vehicle arrivals and the time spent at each stage of the refuelling visit.
- Map permanent, agency, visiting and contractor driver access requirements.
- Standardise vehicle, depot, fleet group and cost-centre naming before importing records.
- Review tank, pipework, dispenser flow and vehicle circulation as one combined system.
- Confirm network availability, local administration and the central reporting model.
- Pilot the process with representative drivers before applying it across multiple depots.
Recommended next steps
Helpful answers
Sector questions answered.
Can one driver refuel at several distribution centres?
Yes, where the connected sites and user permissions are configured to allow it. The system design should define which drivers, vehicles and products are available at each location.
Can agency drivers have temporary access?
Users can be created and managed according to the selected access policy. Temporary access should still use individual credentials rather than a widely shared depot key.
Can mileage be required before dispensing?
Where supported by the selected equipment and configuration, the driver can be prompted for mileage or another reading. Procedures should explain how invalid or unavailable readings are handled.
Can yard shunters and road vehicles use the same system?
Yes, different asset types can be recorded within the same reporting structure, provided the identification and product rules are suitable for each group.
Can all depots be viewed centrally?
Multi-site reporting can bring together connected locations where compatible hardware, communications and software have been deployed.
Can existing high-flow pumps be retained?
They may be integrated if compatible and serviceable, but the entire hydraulic and metering arrangement must be assessed before performance or integration is confirmed.
Practical guidance
Food, pharmaceutical and cold-chain distribution
Plan refuelling around the delivery window and the vehicles actually using the depot.
Protect the dispatch window
Onsite refuelling can reduce detours between jobs. Account for early departures, returning vehicles and any separately fuelled refrigeration equipment.
Keep the scope clear
Fuel access and stock records support the fuel operation. They do not replace cargo-temperature monitoring or product-handling controls.
Practical guidance
Courier and e-commerce fulfilment fleets
Keep refuelling practical when vehicles leave together and drivers change.
Match access to the roster
Maintain vehicle and driver assignments as staff and subcontractors change. Review lost tags and temporary access through a defined process.
Use the whole cost picture
Compare refuelling time, site demand and operating costs with offsite arrangements. An onsite facility can complement fuel cards for journeys away from base.
