Fuel usage isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the operating costs for a farm, but it plays an enormous role on the efficiency of agricultural operations. Whether you’re heli-mustering across thousands of acres or have a small farm growing grain in the wheat belt, the future success of your agriculture operation relies on your fuel supply and how you choose to manage it. Effective and efficient management of your fuel usage and tracking is paramount to a successful agriculture system, whether it is large or small.
A Fuel Management System can help you take control of your fuel purchases, track on-site fuel storage, and track your vehicles maintenance schedules to minimise downtime, creating greater efficiency than manually trying to calculate the enormous range of data that is important in agricultural operations. Since improving efficiency is the primary goal of a fuel management system, it is clear why it will assist your agricultural operation.
What Is a Fuel Management System?
A Fuel Management System is a combination of hardware and software products that work together to safeguard a fleet’s fuel, control stores, and monitor delivery and consumption. The addition of a fuel management system to your agriculture operations can achieve fluid reconciliation rates greater than 99.5% which means you are gaining accuracy, accountability, security and increasing productivity of your fleet’s fuelling requitements. Fuel Management Systems consist of hardware, controllers, and software.
Hardware
By installing reliable dry break couplings for diesel refuelling, farms can ensure the safety of their workers, and reduce the risk of loss of fuel. They can also be set up to enable refuelling speeds of up to 1000lpm, saving valuable time and increasing efficiency. A range of other automatic and manual identification options are available to authenticate the identity of workers and machines, helping to mitigate fuel theft.
Controllers
Controllers are the core heart of a fuel management system. Installed on-site in the vicinity of bulk storages, fuel pumps, and dispensing points, they manage all local fluid access and security. Being able to track data easily and accurately, such as tank levels and fuel dispensed into equipment, can greatly improve the efficiency of agricultural operations.
Software
The software component of a fuel management system is the technology to read the data from any device that has a web browser. It can be used to restrict fuel usage by time or volume per vehicle/driver, with data instantly recorded. With the ability to remotely monitor and offer real time monitoring, it is essential to getting the most out of your farm equipment and employees.
Benefits of a Fuel Management Systems that will Improve the Efficiency in Agricultural Operations
Reducing Costs
While we can’t lower the cost of fuel, you can increase your efficiency in its usage. Implementing an efficient Fuel Management System can decrease maintenance costs by introducing a proactive maintenance schedule for your agricultural vehicles. Taking early action on detected issues will also save on costly downtime. The system will also help identify drivers’ behaviours such as speeding, harsh braking events, abnormal routes, and idling, which all are detractors from an effective operation.
Route Guidance
GPS fleet tracking will not only help you to better monitor your vehicles and their drivers but assist the operator by having live data to select the route that will be more effective. When operations are continually travelling long distances, sometime the best path isn’t the one that they have always used in the past. With GPS fleet tracking, keeping track of variables like traffic and weather are automated, ensuring the most effective path is being used, as well as monitor any idling, or delays.
Improving fuel security
Fuel security is an increasingly major concern for agricultural operations. A Fuel Management System can reduce the risk of fuel theft by reconciling expenditures with fuel consumption. It can include an ID tag that matches the vehicle to an employee, which means no ID equals no fuel delivered.
Reducing idling time
A vehicle left to idle translates simply to increased fuel costs. It also adds additional unnecessary engine wear and tear, which could add thousands of dollars in maintenance costs. A Fuel Management System takes live data, so you can track idle time per vehicle, adding another tool to monitor performance and educate drivers.
Improving site safety
If you store fuel on-site, effectively monitoring it is about more than an expensive security camera. A Fuel Management System can improve safety as well as efficiency. Being able to remote monitor even the inside of the tanks’ conditions will create a more effective system for your agriculture operation. Safety features include:
- automated refuelling
- overfill
- spill prevention technology
- Authorised fuel dispensing through ID tagging
- lockable hatches
- detecting dirty or contaminated fluids
- monitor pressure
- detect leaking tanks or valves
Simplifying reporting
Using software in a Fuel Management System that is Australian Tax Office (ATO) compliant means simplification of Fuel Tax Credit reconciliation. An efficient system will accurately report data to help you maximise fuel tax credits and make the most of rebate schemes. Fuel is a significant cost on agricultural operations, so taking advantage of fuel levies and tax credits will create a cost-effective system. Tax time will be simplified when using an ATO compliant fuel management system, which automates fuel cost tracking, distances travelled, and costs incurred.
Sustainability and the environment
The agriculture sector and its mechanical operations has a large carbon footprint, so making farms more efficient to become more environmentally sustainable, is just important as saving money. Having automated fuel management systems allows for better fuel efficiency, which in turn will help lower a fleet’s impact on the climate.
Banlaw’s Fuel Management Systems
Banlaw can make your agricultural operation more effective, saving you money, by installing a fuel management system. If you are looking for increased accuracy, accountability, security, or productivity, include a system with hardware, controllers, and software to track, monitor and improve the efficiency of your operation costs. Contact Banlaw now to get superior control of your agriculture operations.
