Sustainable transport for a better world.

Managing and monitoring fuel

Fuel is expensive. Losses or overuse of fuel may occur through poor handling and storage, poor mechanical condition of the vehicle, poor driving technique, and /or misappropriation. Losses of fuel can be avoided or minimized through effective fuel monitoring.

Excessive or unusual fuel consumption can be quickly identified through fuel monitoring and necessary action can then be taken to address the cause. So it is critical to support, manage and monitor fuel consumption within your organisation. 

What Is Fuel Management And Control?
Can you account for fuel that is purchased by your organisation? Being able to do so is what fuel management and monitoring is all about.

How Do You Manage And Monitor Fuel?

Track vehicle fuel consumption. Understanding how much fuel a specific vehicle used when driving a given distance makes it easy to determine fuel efficiency. For each official vehicle, a Monthly Control Sheet must be completed each month showing the amount of vehicle fuel purchased, kilometres travelled, maintenance, servicing, repairs, etc. Fuel monitoring includes the accurate recording number of kilometres travelled and the number of liters of fuel put into the vehicle (or other powered equipment) each month. Fuel consumption, based on the number of liters of fuel per 100 kilometres driven must be calculated. Monthly fuel consumption as well as on-going, aggregated fuel consumption should be analyzed. Track fueling to each driver and each vehicle. For fleet operations, it is important to know how much fuel is going into which vehicle, under the control of a specific driver.

Fuel may be provided through a range of different methods. Wherever possible, a fuel supply frame agreement contract should be established with a specific supplier in which the terms for fuel supply are clearly defined. It may be necessary to establish frame agreements with more than one supplier to ensure continuity of supply. The contract should specify the quality of the fuel; moreover, regular, independent laboratory analysis should be undertaken in view of monitoring quality control or whenever the quality is in doubt.

Operations should avoid buying fuel against cash. Although no system is completely foolproof, the establishment of a secure fuel-purchasing system must be a priority. Fuel control methods will vary due to local conditions, but effective measures to minimize fuel loss should be established and maintained. 

In certain circumstances, field missions may be lengthy, and in areas where access to additional fuel is uncertain, the carrying of addition fuel may be required. Transporting extra fuel on a vehicle comes with a safety and security risk that should be avoided if possible. Fuel should never be carried inside the vehicle. If it is necessary to carry extra fuel then drums and jerry cans must be securely fastened with the lids closed firmly. If fuel is carried on a roof rack, this raises the center of gravity of the vehicle, which increases instability, therefore the load should be limited to a small amount of fuel. 

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