Dirty diesel, contamination crises, and dodgy fuel—these headlines have made top stories in South Africa over the last few months. This brings us to ask: are the recent news reports sensationalising the fuel contamination problem, or do we have a crisis on our hands?
Fuel contamination can harm your fleet vehicle's performance and engine operation, which explains the concern over reports about dirty diesel.
As fuel prices increase, it’s alarming to individuals and businesses that they could spend more on fuel, potentially damaging their vehicles and ultimately costing them millions in the long run.
With fuel monitoring solutions from Cartrack, fleet managers can prevent and stop dirty diesel refuelling that is happening right under their fleet.
Dirty diesel, more commonly called fuel or diesel contamination, refers to impurities in your fuel that reduce its quality and grade. These impurities can be caused by various contaminations, such as water and microbial (bacterial and fungi) degradation, which occurs in the storage and handling of the fuel.
Here’s a more detailed explanation of fuel contamination.
With more than one type of fuel contamination, it’s best to get clued up so you can keep contamination risks in your fleet at a minimum.
Businesses transporting goods regularly or working with machinery that rely on diesel fuel will be disadvantaged by the devastating results on their vehicles and machinery.
Dirty diesel can cause:
Whether your fleet was accidentally refuelled with dirty diesel and you’ve fallen victim to dodgy petrol stations, or maybe you have simply overlooked fuel quality for your vehicle and equipment; there are only three tried and tested ways to prevent and stop fuel contamination in your fleet.
Here are the three best ways to prevent fleet fuel contamination:
Regular vehicle and equipment maintenance or servicing helps ensure your fleet is prepared for every trip, no matter the distance. Your vehicle is constantly working, so keeping up with the service is a smart way to make sure every component works optimally.
To prevent and stop fuel contamination, fleet managers who suspect dirty diesel in their fleet can request a checkup on their fuel filter and fuel pump at their next maintenance or service check.
To avoid manually tracking their fleet’s service appointments, fleet managers can set maintenance or service reminders on the Cartrack Fleet Web and automate the administrative process. For example, replacing your fuel filter every two years or every 50 000 km driven (depending on the vehicle type) is typically recommended. By setting customised reminders for a fuel filter replacement, you ensure your fleet’s fuel filter is checked and replaced on time. What’s more, having to replace your fuel filter earlier than when you captured it on Fleet Web would indicate that there may be fuel contamination problems affecting your fleet.
As expected, your drivers probably know more about your vehicle and your vehicle’s performance than you do. They are behind the wheel every day, ensuring your deliveries and tasks are completed on time. This also means they can alert you to vehicle issues so you can address them faster.
By training your drivers and other fleet staff on fuel contamination and the signs they can look out for, you can help them prevent and stop fuel contamination in your fleet. Simply adding routine oil and filter vehicle checks can go a long way.
Cartrack’s GPS tracking and telematics solutions help when your drivers are not sure what is causing your vehicle’s performance difficulties. Our telematics give insights into your vehicle so you get notified of engine faults and battery health checks. With these insights, you can address vehicle issues even faster.
Last but certainly not least, your fleet’s fuel consumption, expenditure, and patterns can all indicate whether your vehicles’ and machinery are running on dirty diesel. Fuel monitoring is all about analysing your fleet's fuel consumption in real time, tracking fuel expenditure and transactions, monitoring fuel tank levels, and identifying the problems affecting your fleet’s fuel.
Using various fuel data can help fleet managers detect and address fuel issues such as contamination. Sometimes fuel contamination is caused by drivers or fleet staff trying to get cheaper fuel so they can inflate the fuel costs and pocket the change from refuelling. This kind of fuel theft can be addressed with fuel card integration that restricts refuelling to authorised stations. Fuel cards can also be used to track fuel purchases by location, cost, and volume to help managers identify suspicious activity.
Our fuel monitoring system is equipped with GPS tracking and fuel sensors and can be integrated with Cartrack’s MiFleet for cost administration. This system provides an all-in-one option to address dirty diesel issues and other fuel management challenges. Using our system, fleet managers can customise and automate their fuel consumption reports on the Cartrack FleetWeb to meet their needs and address fuel issues.
Alternatively, if you realise that one or more of your vehicles or machinery seem to run out of fuel faster or that the vehicle often breaks down, then you can investigate dirty diesel or fuel fraud in your fleet.
The news reports on fuel contamination and dirty diesel are not lying, but some misconceptions we have about fuel quality could stall your fleet, resulting in vehicle and equipment downtime and costly maintenance.
Let’s quickly debunk some common myths about fuel contamination.
Myth #1: There is no way to test your fleet fuel
Fleet managers can arrange different fuel testing tools and sampling checks with their fuel providers or request for their vehicles. Fuel testing is the only accurate way to determine whether a vehicle has dirty diesel. Mechanical checks, fuel tank condition, and fuel appearance all suggest contaminated fuel.
Myth #2: All diesel is the same
Diesel products differ, and South African vehicle owners have the option of choosing among different grades of diesel. It’s more important for fleet owners and staff to understand what their vehicles are compatible with and ensure they do not undercut their vehicles or machinery.
Myth #3 - Engines are resilient, so misfuelling is not a problem
Your engine cannot run properly without the right fuel, and sometimes, it will not run at all if you’ve poured the wrong fuel. While engines are resilient, misfuelling can damage your vehicle and cost you money.
Myth #4 - Using dirty diesel helps with fuel-saving
The saying goes, “cheap is expensive”, which is true when it comes to dirty diesel. Fuel saving should never compromise your fleet vehicles; dirty diesel damages your vehicle and reduces lifespan. With Cartrack’s fuel monitoring solutions, you can reduce your fleet's overall fuel costs and strategies to improve your fleet's fuel efficiency.
Fuel contamination can wreck your fleet, leading to costly repairs and unnecessary downtime. Protect your money-making vehicles and machinery from dirty diesel and keep your fleet running smoothly.
Contact us today for a free demo of our fuel monitoring solutions!
