Tips for Marina Fuel Management
Marine fuel management has faced unique challenges in recent years. High gasoline and diesel prices have forced operators to closely track their fuel inventories to ensure profitability. Namely, profit loss due to:
• Inaccurate record keeping
• Misallocation of fuel use
• Theft
• Damaged hardware
Below, we identify key areas for consideration when looking for a fuel management solution for a marina.
What is Fuel Management?
Fuel management systems are configurations of specialized hardware and software applications intended to control and monitor fuel inventory and usage. A management system will provide a granular view of how much and which kinds of fuel you are dispensing, who you are dispensing to, and how much you still have available.
Monitoring fuel isn’t the only use for a fuel management system. Other use cases include tracking oil or other high-volume liquids used in maintaining a marina’s operations. Whether you want to monitor profitability for a site, control fueling access to specific users, or track potential theft, a fuel management system is a must-have tool for any fueling location.
How Can Fuel Management Benefit a Marina?
Track Sales and Usage
Marinas often dispense fuel to both their own equipment as well as to customers. This makes it necessary to have multiple options for accepting payment and be able to track who is getting fuel.
Whether dispensing to an employee for daily operations, invoicing a house account for their monthly usage, or running credit cards for a one-off transaction, a fuel management system is critical for tracking fuel dispensed at both attended and unattended locations.
Inventory Control
Fuel tanks require sensors to continuously monitor levels both to ensure availability as well as alert operators to any missing fuel. This can be an early warning system if there is damage to a tank or if there is theft occurring.
Periodically measuring tank levels using traditional manual methods can be inaccurate given the volumes of fuel that marine engines can consume. Accessing inventory data remotely from a single platform is far more efficient and reduces the risk of running out of inventory for any reason.
Theft Prevention
In many parts of the country fuel theft is an ongoing concern. As such, having a secure solution for tracking sales and inventory is critical, especially for unattended fueling locations. By reporting on usage by vessel or fueler, operators can track discrepancies and pinpoint possible theft.
Reliable Hardware Withstands the Elements
Marine fueling locations are exposed to the elements and are more vulnerable to hardware failure caused by extreme weather conditions. Multiforce Systems offers stainless steel fuel controllers, designed for the harshest of environments found in marina operations. These controllers can handle a wide range of temperatures as well as the corrosion caused by salt water.
What is Needed for Quality Fuel Management?
To operate a marina efficiently and profitably, appropriate tools are needed to ensure success. Multiforce’s FuelForce fuel management systems are ideal for the needs of marinas and marine fleets. Our rugged fuel control hardware and leading software systems will help you manage the security, accuracy, and reliability of your marina’s fueling.
A marina’s fuel management solution is a combination of hardware at the marina and software. Our most popular and effective software is our cloud-based Fuelserve.net. Combined they would operate as pictured below:
Multiforce Systems has been producing quality fuel management solutions for over 40 years. An innovator in the industry, in 2007 Multiforce was the first to offer a cloud-based fuel management platform. We strive to provide fleet and fuel managers with the ability to track and manage their fueling accurately and remotely.
Interested in seeing how Multiforce can support your marina’s fueling needs? Contact us today via the form below or by emailing our sales team at sales@fuelforce.com for a free demonstration of our software.