Tom Morgan, Director at Alpeco, explained more about the long-term partnerships they have with their customers: “We don’t just sell people a product and leave them to it. We like to fully understand our clients’ operational needs in order that we can provide them with a solution that meets their technical requirements, as well as helping to maximise their productivity and improve their bottom line.
“Our work with Rawlings Fuels is a perfect example of this collaborative and rounded approach.
“Rawlings is a fantastic, independent supplier of fuel oils to both the domestic and commercial markets, based in Hampshire. We began working with Rawlings a few years ago and have, year on year, provided them tank and metering equipment for their road tanker fleet. More recently we have supplied them with TEX Flow Computers.”
Full of features
Built from the ground up, the TEX is the result of a three-year R&D program by SAMPI and, as with its Truck III predecessor, the TEX is available as a stand-alone unit or integrated into a revised CHECKMATE control module.
Most significantly, the display, keypad and all electronic circuitry is contained in a single ATEX approved housing, which does not require a separate cab mounted CPU or external junction box. This provides more space in the cab and no cabling to run from the cab out to the register, a major time saver both in terms of installation and maintenance.
Tom highlights other popular features of the TEX. “It has a programmable load inventory that offers added load security and traceability. It displays the compartment grade and volume on its screen, which eliminates the need for a driver to mentally remember what was loaded into each compartment, as the volume of each delivery is automatically deducted from the initial loaded amount.
“It’s also great for stock reconciliation as, at the end of a shift, a ticket can be printed showing what stock is left on board, so there’s no need to waste time pumping left-over product back into storage.”
Cross-over prevention
One of the most notable features of the TEX is its cross-over prevention. TEX memorises both grade and volume in each compartment so, for example, when diesel is selected, the set-up menu only provide options to open compartments containing diesel. Its full colour screen, with large font digits, can also be programmed to display industry recognised colours for each different grade. So, for example, it is easy to recognise when diesel is being delivered as the screen graphics are yellow.
With so much invested in developing valuable features it is understandable that Tom Morgan and the Alpeco team are enthusiastic about what the TEX offers distributors, so we asked Tom Davies of Rawlings for his thoughts on it: “The TEX Flow Computer is a great piece of kit. It has provided us with complete control over our fuel and makes life easier for our drivers. This increases our overall productivity and allows us to look after more clients.
“It’s a perfect example of why we love to work with Alpeco and why we just recently commissioned them to build a new two-arm delivery skid, specifically for our new HVO line offering.”
Tom Morgan shares more about the developments around future fuel solutions: “With an increasing number of businesses exploring HVO as a fuel of the future, we are increasingly being asked to design solutions that help our clients maximise the opportunity this change brings to their businesses.
“For Rawlings, after spending time understanding exactly what they wanted to achieve, we partnered with storage tank manufacturer, OTS Tanks, to design and build a bespoke delivery skid. Complete with pumps and genuine Liquid Controls flow meters configured for loading rates of up 1000lpm, biased as I am, it is a thing of beauty!
“We love what we do and look forward to helping more businesses find the right solution for their liquid handling projects.”
