SOURCE: OPW GLOBAL
also then avoid losing fuel to theft, broken equipment or mismanagement. Fleets that use such technology to monitor their fuel
inventory are now reporting lower fuel costs. The bonus of being able to capture accurate data can also mean low- er maintenance costs, since it reveals problems early and helps districts keep on proper maintenance schedules.
‘100 Percent the Future’ Smart fueling depends on a user-friendly combination
of hardware and software. Taylor Fenior, Fuelmaster’s ex- tended maintenance specialist, explained that hardware equipment at the filling stations actually controls the fuel flow by authorizing the transactions for each vehicle. “And then you have hardware on the buses,” he added. “Our telematics device tracks all of the vehicle data, and is connected to the onboard diagnostic port,” Fenior said. Fenior pointed out that, “There’s a ring around where
you fuel the vehicle and a tag on the actual hose. So when you take the hose out, that device is communicating by
radio frequency and authorizing the transaction while transmitting all of the data. It takes the driver out of the equation. All of the data is talking back and forth.” For the past two years, Fuelmaster has offered a product
that communicates constantly with the internet. It was first developed for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and it now helps school districts keep tabs on fueling in real time. “So far it’s been wildly successful. It’s 100 percent the
future,” said Fenior. “It started off with everyone wanting to not have a full-time guy out on the fuel island. Let’s just automate this process [they urged], but you don’t want to just have a dispenser anyone can go and fuel from.” The solution was a comprehensive capability, he noted. “Our system is designed to operate 24/7—to only allow vehicles that are authorized to fuel. Today we’re more data-driven. Not only did we secure that fuel, but we’re tracking all of the data with it—how much they’re fueling, what time they got it, what driver got it, mileage, engine hours, engine trouble codes, and if there’s a light
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