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.”
1. An onsite 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.
2. 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.
3. Without onsite 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
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.
In his education session featured at the upcoming CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, Lowe will dive deep into detail about the benefits of on-site fuel storage and other considerations to help contractors determine the best fuel solution for their operations. Click here for more information on how to attend his session “Improve Fuel Efficiency With Onsite Fuel Storage."
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.
