Fuel is one of the biggest operating costs faced by construction companies, and fuel prices are rising.
“With the unpredictable cost of fuel, it has become more important than ever for construction companies to decrease their fuel costs and increase their fuel security,” says Jeff Lowe, director of product and sales enablement for Western Global. “For them to maintain their timeline and keep their project moving forward, they need their machines refueled daily, and on-site fuel storage is the best solution.”
Here are five reasons why your company should look at providing on-site fuel storage:
Buying in Bulk
An on-site fuel storage system allows you to buy fuel in bulk, which gets you a cheaper price, and it allows you to deploy the fuel when and where you need it.
Easily Moveable
On-site fuel storage systems can easily be moved around the job site — or from job site to job site — compared to a permanent or semi-permanent installation, and this flexibility allows contractors to be really efficient at refueling their machines.
No Waiting
Without on-site fuel storage, companies must contact a fuel distributor to wet-hose the site — drive a fuel tank on site (oftentimes at the end of the day), find the equipment wherever it is, fill it up, and then drive to the next machine and the next machine until the job is complete.
Cost Savings
The act of refueling is a time-consuming experience. It’s just like filling up your car at the pump — you can’t make it go any faster. However, in this scenario, you’re fueling 20 or 30 machines. “It gets to be a costly experience because they get paid by the hour,” says Lowe.
Eliminating Downtime
If the truck driver calls in sick or the tanker breaks down, then you need to scramble to refuel your vehicles by morning in order to stay on schedule. On-site fuel systems help eliminate potential headaches like this.
BENEFITS ARE PLENTY
With on-site fuel storage that is secure, safe and environmentally friendly, you can take control of your fuel supply, so you don’t have to rely on other people’s plans, capabilities and availabilities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
About the author: AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.8 million jobs and contributes roughly $288 billion to the economy every year.
