The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | JULY 2015 15 FUELS BY JOE MONTROY, REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, BERGQUIST INC. Monitor Your Customers' Propane Tanks Tank monitors decrease operating costs and improve customer retention R emote tank monitors for propane are increasing in popularity, and with good reason. This rapidly improving technology has become a useful tool for retailers seeking an edge in growing their business. Propane marketers looking for ways to decrease operating costs and improve customer retention have discov - ered the advantages of tank monitors. Tank monitors improve delivery efficiencies by increasing truck and driver productivity. The industry average propane delivery is estimated to be only 36% of a tank's water volume. There are many factors for this, but one reason may be that all tanks along a given route are generally topped off when a driver is in the area, whether the tank needs fuel or not. With actual costs to your business running in excess of $50 per drop, reducing the number of deliveries is a key component in reducing operating expenses. Tank monitors, when combined with routing software, can target locations that require filling, and allow the driver to avoid unnecessary stops at tanks that do not need fuel. This creates efficiency and reduces the num - ber of deliveries, improving the productivity of your trucks and drivers. There are other benefits from improved delivery efficiency. Fewer deliveries results in savings from reduced vehicle mile- age and maintenance. Avoiding stops at tanks that are close to full allows trucks to deliver more gallons per day. It can also reduce overtime, as a driver's day is not wasted on needless stops. It is possible less temporary labor is needed for winter, as full time employees are better utilized. And a more efficient delivery structure may free up equipment and employee time for other functions, including securing new business. Tank monitors can increase customer loyalty by prevent - ing "out of gas" situations. A monitor allows you to know the fuel level of your customer's tank from the convenience of your office. Deliveries can then be scheduled accordingly. You become the provider that can make sure there are no inter- ruptions in service because of empty tanks. It's a great way to keep customers from being tempted by the competition. With the sophisticated software now offered by many tank monitor manufacturers, you can check tank levels for key accounts, sporadic users, and far flung locations at a glance. And alarms can be configured to notify you if a tank reaches preset limits. This provides security in knowing that critical customers will never run empty. It also allows you to skip deliveries to remote locations when the tanks are still loaded, preventing wasted time and effort on your part. Tank monitor technology is not new, but it has seen vast improvements in recent years. There are now options for land line, cellular and even satellite communication. Reliability of connection has increased as our cellular networks grow and advance across the country. There is also the ability to combine types of communication. This allows almost any customer to be a candidate for tank monitoring. As the technology advances and tank monitors become more popular, the price of monitoring equipment and com - munication fees continue to drop. Prices vary depending on features and services, meaning that you can find tank monitors at a price point to fit your needs. Just be sure it is a system that will provide the features you need, both now and as your moni- toring needs evolve. Consider that the situations you choose to monitor will expand and the capabilities of monitors will continue to grow. Choose a monitor that will grow with you. Tank monitors have advanced to a point that makes them reliable, easy to use, and cost effective. The use of monitors is steadily increasing as companies take advantage of the fea - tures that meet their specific require- ments. It all adds up to a great time to invest in technology that reduces operating costs and improves cus- tomer satisfaction. l F O N Joe Montroy