Case
BF Distributors
BF Distributors is a South African group of companies specialising in the supply of fuels and oils, based in Polokwane in the Limpopo Province. The group has been a loyal and profitable distributor for the Caltex brand in South Africa for over 30 years and counting. They are customer-focused, well-managed and continuously invest in training their staff, whilst always leaving room for improvement. They aim to understand their customers‘ requirements by discussing specific needs and requirements before making any proposal or providing a service. The strategic alliance with Chevron enables them to supply all products, at all times, on time. Franco Bulk operates 18 delivery lorries and several ’bakkies’ (pick-up trucks). At their Franco Bulk depot, they have a 23,000-litre tank.
Client brief
To move away from their paper-based fuel tracking process, BF distributors installed a fuel management system from Maxi Control. Unfortunately, this system proved to be unreliable, forcing them to revert to the paper-based system. With the return to the paper-based system came time-consuming monitoring, less secure and accurate data, and, as a result, an increase in fraud. This was reason enough for BF Distributors to seek an alternative supplier who could help them overcome these issues. This time, however, they were looking for a supplier with a proven track record and a commitment to after-sales support. To demonstrate this, a pilot installation was arranged at the Franco Bulk depot.
I’m very happy with the services provided by TSG
Results following installation
In phase one, the DiaLOG fuel management system was installed, thereby restoring most of the fuel management control. It also showed that the use of RFID tags still requires a degree of discipline from users and drivers. It transpired that drivers would swap tags and still make mistakes when entering the mileage. However, once the SmartFuel was fitted to the first lorries, these issues quickly disappeared. With the system now fitted to all vehicles, it is expected that levels of fraud will also fall significantly.
Furthermore, the reliable and accurate data enables BF to offer a reward to the driver with the lowest fuel consumption. Alongside rewards for safe driving, they then select the ‘Driver of the Year’, who is treated to a lovely weekend away. The support and training enabled several users at BF to get to grips with the system quite quickly. Both the face-to-face training, telephone support and YouTube tutorials contributed to this.
