For enterprises whose income directly depends on the operation of transport, fuel consumption - indicator, the importance of which is difficult to overestimate. Fuel control - The second point on which the success and competitiveness of an enterprise depends is the level of vehicle maintenance. Both of these indicators, according to numerous analytical and statistical data, are often unsatisfactory. On the one hand, one cannot fail to take into account the mental factor of the traditional attitude towards the “alien”, “public”, which is expressed in the reluctance of drivers to carry out fuel consumption control(fuel consumption accounting). On the other hand, management extremely rarely pays decent wages, assuming in advance that drivers are deceiving by presenting distorted data on fuel consumption. While fuel prices remained at a certain level, few people thought about installation (fuel consumption accounting) - the profit received ensured the sustainability of the enterprise and its further development. But prices for fuels and lubricants fall and rise along with competition, and in order to maintain a strong position in the market, a constant need has arisen.
What methods are used for fuel consumption control systems today?
In recent years, several types have appeared on the domestic market fuel control systems. One of the common options fuel consumption control- use of flow-type sensors. In this case, fuel consumption data is recorded by flow meters - special turbines that cut into the vehicle’s fuel drive. Flow meters read the amount of forward flow to the engine and the amount of flow on the return line.
Advantages - fuel consumption accounting, such fuel consumption control systems consist in the fact that the consumed fuel is objectively controlled, while ensuring high accuracy of indicators for gasoline engines. But if there is low-quality fuel in the tank, which happens very often, the system loses the ability to correctly account for consumed gasoline. Diesel fuel is even more difficult to account for in the Far North. At constantly low temperatures, a paraffin fraction is formed in the fuel, and the thickened composition reduces the service life of the “turbine”.
Significant disadvantage flow type sensors in fuel consumption control system(accounting for fuel consumption), it can be considered necessary to intervene in the design of the vehicle’s fuel system, since it is necessary to embed the devices into the line, which is problematic to do on warranty vehicles. Flow-type sensors have a high price, and on machines with a diesel engine for precise fuel consumption control (fuel consumption accounting) it is necessary to install two sensors (the second one is on the “return”). It is impossible to control the actual filling and draining of fuel when installing flow-type sensors.
Sensors with a pulse reed switch device are easy to damage (intentionally), but this fact is extremely difficult to prove. The moving parts of the flow-through fuel consumption control system have a limited working life, which reduces their reliability. After the fuel has passed through the sensor, the control stops and the fuel can be drained. Thus, the disadvantages are fuel consumption control systems(accounting for fuel consumption) is quite a lot, so its effectiveness is confirmed only where transport runs on high-quality gasoline, and the cars are driven by conscientious and responsible drivers.
Another way to control fuel consumption, accounting for fuel consumption is a calculation based on standards for a certain period and fuel consumption control actually consumed by vehicle mileage. To do this, a simple and cheap option- all vehicle operating parameters that affect fuel consumption are measured: mileage, parking, idling time, additional non-working time. Consumption rates are entered or transmitted to the dispatch program via a wireless terminal. Actual control is carried out by measuring fuel level in the tank.
Advantage application fuel consumption accounting(fuel consumption monitoring system according to standards) is its availability and the absence of significant financial costs. No need to buy and install counters fuel consumption control and connect to the vehicle’s on-board computer. In the simplest way, accounting for fuel consumption is enough to connect power to the GPS GSM terminal. The design of the car remains intact - no intervention in the fuel system is required. The enterprise gets the opportunity to objectively and reasonably write off fuel and lubricants.
To the obvious disadvantages such a fuel consumption control system The standards include the influence of subjective factors that distort the accuracy of the data - road quality, traffic congestion, driving habits.
Fuel consumption monitoring system based on reading readings from standard and sensors
Standard sensors fuel consumption control Every modern car has it - just connect to a special program that will track the readings. Most factory sensors fuel consumption control are equipped with float-type fuel level sensors, which leads to data distortion due to vibration and shaking, which can be classified as constant phenomena on domestic roads. There is additional equipment on sale - standard fuel level sensors with high-precision fixation and fuel consumption control. This (fuel consumption control) is installed only in certified service centers.
Advantages The only functionality of the sensors is to accurately determine the current fuel level in the car tank, volume, location, time of fuel refills and drains. Mortise fuel level sensors can be cut to the required length. These devices do not have any effect on the vehicle's chassis. A significant advantage of this fuel consumption accounting (fuel consumption control) is the absence of moving parts in the device, which increases its service life.
To the disadvantages fuel control accounting This may include the need to drill a hole in the tank, carrying out a new calibration if a defect or dent is found on the tank. Not all standard sensors have an output signal. It should be noted that recently new models of fuel level sensors for fuel consumption control systems- embedded capacitive type sensors with a digital output interface. There is also a service for converting digital signals to analog. When cutting such a sensor, the range of the output signal is not reduced, so the error in displaying the data does not increase. But for fuel consumption control systems(fuel control) of this type requires reprogramming after it is cut off.
Is there an optimal way to solve the problem of rational and justified fuel consumption in enterprises?
Fuel control -
All listed methods fuel consumption monitoring systems (fuel consumption metering) are local, and only partially help solve the problem of careful " fuel consumption control"- fuels and lubricants. The best way is to enable fuel consumption control systems(fuel control) into a comprehensive program satellite monitoring motor transport, which consists of tracking and controlling the vehicle along the entire route, indicating on the map the exact location of the object, analyzing its technical condition, recording the number of stops, idling time, fuel consumption control Fuel and lubricants (fuel consumption accounting).
Fuel control -
The principle of operation of the complex fuel consumption control systems(fuel control) is based on the connection of a telematics terminal satellite monitoring To on-board computer transport. Only an objective and independent assessment of the technical condition of the vehicle, analysis of the operation of all parameters while the vehicle is in motion can help the company increase the efficiency of the enterprise, achieve savings in fuel consumption, increase the discipline and responsibility of drivers - not only during the task, but during post-trip vehicle maintenance .
Objectives of an integrated fuel consumption monitoring system:
- Determination of the actual operating time of the vehicle.
- Determining the location of transport at any time.
- Monitoring and accounting of fuel consumption.
- Monitoring technical parameters during vehicle operation: axle load, quality of the brake system, condition of each technical unit (more than 30 parameters in total).
- Monitoring the operation of the engine part: number of revolutions, temperature in the tank, oil pressure.
- Analysis and conclusions about the technical serviceability of vehicles and the validity of fuel consumption on the road.
Fuel control -
WITHfuel consumption control system(fuel consumption accounting), in composition of satellite monitoring transport developed by the company "Highly Intelligent Business Systems", is intended for installation on domestic and imported trucks and cars, as well as on most types of special equipment used in construction, road, municipal and agricultural work.
Fuel control -
Comprehensive fuel consumption control system(fuel control) helps to timely identify technical faults when the car is functioning normally according to external signs, and analytical data signals unbalanced operation of the mechanical or electrical part of the vehicle. Complete system fuel consumption control(fuel consumption accounting) provides accurate data over a wide temperature range: from - 50 to 85 degrees. When installing this system fuel consumption control(fuel consumption control) it becomes possible to export data to several types of computer programs. At the same time, the information is easy to read; no additional data decryption is required.
The most important advantage fuel consumption control systems what is this part comprehensive satellite transport monitoring systems, guaranteeing absolute protection from interference in the technical and electronic circuit of the device. The driver cannot “deceive” the system, it is closed to him, and any attempts to interfere will be known to management. In addition, the management of the enterprise, when applying a comprehensive fuel consumption control systems(accounting for fuel consumption), it becomes possible to evaluate each driver in terms of his professionalism, which consists of his attitude towards the car, driving style, service, and accuracy of following instructions. As a result, the transport company gets a real result - the creation of a staff of conscientious and responsible drivers, which will immediately affect the performance indicators as a whole.
This fuel consumption monitoring system (fuel control) has several other important advantages: reliable protection against vandalism (due to connection to satellite alarms), ease of installation, and no need to configure equipment and devices. As a rule, when installing a complex fuel consumption control systems(fuel consumption control) software and reliable service are offered. Information received from transport due to the installation of this system satellite monitoring, is absolutely reliable and practically has no errors*, even when working in the harsh conditions of the North.
External equipment fuel control systems, which is an integral part satellite monitoring The car as a whole is a small flat box that connects to the vehicle’s on-board computer via a CAN bus. Analytical accounting is maintained for all indicators, recorded and stored in a database on the server. Transport company economists and analysts can check the data at any time fuel consumption control systems(fuel consumption control) for any period of time, compare indicators and draw conclusions about the operation of transport. In addition, the satellite monitoring system ensures the safety of the driver and vehicle; if offenders attempt to break into the vehicle, an alarm is triggered, which is immediately recorded by the dispatcher. Since the location of the vehicle is always known, adequate measures are taken instantly.
Thus, we can conclude that only comprehensive satellite monitoring system and one of its components fuel consumption control systems(fuel consumption control) can help an enterprise keep objective and comprehensive records of the operation of each vehicle, carry out modern replacement of spare parts, reduce repair and maintenance costs, and create a team of disciplined and responsible employees. Fuel consumption control system quickly pays off, since there is a significant reduction in the cost of transport company services.
* Applies only to those vehicles that are connected to a comprehensive satellite vehicle monitoring system via the CAN bus of the vehicle’s on-board computer.
FUEL CONSUMPTION CONTROL SYSTEM
fuel control fuel consumption control fuel consumption monitoring system fuel consumption accounting
Well-established control of fuel consumption at an enterprise is one of the prerequisites for the effective operation of the transport department. The costs of purchasing fuel and lubricants make up the lion's share of the expenditure part of the budget of such structural units, and therefore they should be minimized - primarily by eliminating abuse.
The organization of a fuel consumption monitoring system at an enterprise (FCMC) should include a whole range of measures. But the key aspect will still be the installation of special equipment capable of recording actual fuel costs automatically, with minimal personnel influence on this process.
Methods of theft of fuels and lubricants and other fraud with fuel
To effectively control fuel consumption by commercial vehicles, it is necessary to have at least a superficial understanding of how fuel theft can be carried out. There are quite a few ways:
- Draining gasoline or diesel fuel. This method is the simplest. It involves the actual theft of fuel from fuel tanks. The drained fuel is either used for personal purposes or sold.
- Use of fuel receipts. If refueling is carried out not at the enterprise, but by the driver himself, with a subsequent report to the accounting department, then an unscrupulous employee can purchase receipts from third parties. Upon presentation of the receipts, the driver receives financial compensation.
- Fraud with the odometer. If the car is not equipped with modern navigation systems and on-board recorders, then through relatively simple manipulations the daily mileage may be overestimated. After this, the driver uses one of the two methods described above: either buys receipts, or drains and sells the “excess” gasoline.
In addition, abuse also includes the misuse of official or commercial vehicles. In the absence of proper control, the driver may perform flights without reporting, pocketing payment for them. In this case, the vehicle's service life and fuel consumption (gasoline/diesel fuel, oil, etc.) increase.
As you can see, there are quite a few ways to deceive an enterprise. At the same time, the organization suffers losses not only due to excessive consumption of fuel, but also due to the fact that the transport is either idle or is operated in an inappropriate manner.
Enterprise fuel consumption monitoring systems
To avoid the abuses described above, control of fuel consumption at an enterprise must be systematic. The introduction of a set of control procedures - both organizational and technical - will reduce the cost of purchasing fuel, as well as on preventive maintenance and repair of the equipment itself.
A variety of techniques can be used to control fuel consumption:
Fuel cards
Previously, fuel coupons were used to decentralize the purchase of fuel. But they had a significant drawback: they could be easily faked. Thus, the ground was created for the abuses described above.
Today, an alternative to coupons is fuel cards. They have a number of features:
- Accounting on the card is carried out not in monetary units, but in liters. Those. A certain amount of fuel is allocated for the flight, converting it into finance will be many times more difficult than when using coupons.
- There are both universal maps and maps designed for a specific type of fuel. This also makes fraud more difficult.
- Finally, you can obtain information about debiting fuel volumes from your card at any time - this information is available online. This also makes it easier to control and makes theft more difficult.
In addition, the cards are very convenient to use: they are protected by a PIN code, and if lost or stolen, they can be blocked.
In general, switching to fuel cards also increases the level of safety: the driver does not have to carry large sums of money with him.
Fuel consumption control and vehicle monitoring GLONASS/GPS
However, despite all its effectiveness, the fuel card system still leaves room for fraud. That is why it should be implemented in parallel with the GPS system/ GLONASS transport monitoring.
This approach involves equipping the entire fleet of commercial flights with GPS trackers connected to a common monitoring system. This allows:
- Monitor the movement of each vehicle in real time.
- Monitor compliance with routes, increasing driver discipline and stopping abuses in advance.
- Avoid using company vehicles for personal purposes.
- Increase traffic safety.
The operating efficiency of this system is quite high. Fuel consumption control and vehicle monitoring allow you to track all movements as accurately as possible. Therefore, the head of an enterprise or transport department can find out at any time where a particular vehicle is located - which means it will be extremely difficult to overestimate fuel consumption.
Fuel level control systems
And yet, the most effective measure to prevent the theft of fuels and lubricants, registrations and abuse will be the use of special systems, including:
- software;
- information transmission system;
- fuel sensors, monitoring the fuel level in the tank.
Such systems work according to the following algorithm:
- A sensor is installed in the fuel tank that records the actual fuel level and registers changes in this level.
- The sensor is connected to the main GPS tracker of the system (vehicle monitoring terminal), located in the vehicle cabin. This block is sealed, which eliminates interference with its operation.
- The monitoring system transmits information about the fuel level to the server - and the owner can monitor fuel consumption and the frequency of refueling remotely.
When the module operates, the resources of the GLONAS/GPS global positioning systems are used, which allows you to control the vehicle’s movements and correlate this data with information coming from capacitive sensors in the fuel tanks.
Pros of fuel consumption monitoring systems
The implementation of integrated fuel consumption monitoring systems at an enterprise provides a number of advantages:
- Effectively combating abuses (this increases not only the financial efficiency of the organization, but also discipline in general).
- Control of purchases and consumption of fuel and lubricants, ensuring cost reduction.
- Optimizing the use of vehicles by minimizing downtime and non-target trips.
- Obtaining objective information about the use of the vehicle fleet.
- Reducing the level of accidents and injuries (this is also ensured through the disciplinary effect and elimination of employees prone to abuse).
All these advantages make investments in the purchase of control equipment and the implementation of a fuel and lubricants consumption monitoring system very profitable!
Accounting for fuel and lubricants consumption according to documents
In addition to an effective system for monitoring fuel consumption, to achieve maximum effect it is necessary to introduce uniform rules and accounting standards. As a rule, the basis for the accounting part of accounting is the provision “On Accounting and Reporting”.
Documents confirming fuel consumption for commercial activities of the enterprise are:
- waybills;
- invoices attached to them.
Primary documents must contain the following information:
- mileage;
- weight of transported cargo;
- information about gas stations.
Based on these data, the normalized fuel consumption for a specific vehicle is calculated.
Fuel costs can be taken into account in two ways:
- For production purposes - as part of material costs;
- For management and organizational purposes - as part of other expenses related to core activities.
In any case, an economic justification and documentary evidence of these costs are required. The use of fuel cards simplifies the accounting of fuel consumption and the generation of reports - but in any case it is necessary to control the circulation of documents received from the processing center.
Establishing effective fuel consumption control at an enterprise is not easy: it must include a whole range of organizational and technical solutions. But both the time and financial costs of implementing a system for tracking fuel consumption quickly pays off, primarily by minimizing the level of theft and reducing the cost of purchasing fuel and lubricants.
Our company’s specialists will select the best option for monitoring and managing fuel consumption at your enterprise. Our list of services includes both ready-made solutions and the development of individual control systems.
To achieve success in business, you constantly have to solve various kinds of problems.
If you have your own fleet of vehicles, one of the most important tasks that requires increased attention and control is.
It's no secret that many workers (including drivers, mechanics, garage managers, etc.) take part in an illegal business based on the sale of drained gasoline. This occurs almost everywhere where there is no proper control over the accounting of fuels and lubricants.
How to set it up and achieve savings will be discussed further.
Before setting up a fuel control system, you should find out how it is stolen.
There are a lot of options, but the most common fuel theft fraud schemes are as follows:
Providing “left” fuel receipts to the accounting department. This scheme works in those enterprises where drivers purchase fuel and lubricants in cash and report receipts to the accounting department. Drivers, citing exceeding the established norms for fuel write-off, purchase refueling receipts from third parties and receive compensation for them from their company.
Draining fuel and lubricants from working vehicles. Often there is unused fuel left in the tank of cars. It is used by unscrupulous drivers to refuel their own vehicles or to sell at a low price.
Extra flights. Without proper controls, drivers may operate at their own discretion. For example, to transport building material to a dacha or to make a couple more trips by minibus and not have to account for them.
Twisting the odometer. With the help of special devices, drivers can adjust the meter to the required readings after a work shift. For the difference between the actual and inflated values, drivers buy “left” receipts or drain gasoline from the tank.
There are still plenty of options to deceive a company. The organization itself suffers losses mainly not from stolen fuel, but from the forced downtime of the vehicle.
Due to losses incurred by organizations due to theft and negligence in official duties, many enterprises began to implement monitoring and control systems for their fleet.
All of them have the same purpose - recording the actual use of fuel and lubricants. Depending on the type of equipment installed in cars, the quality of accounting and other indicators of system performance are determined.
You should choose a monitoring system based on the scale of the enterprise and the amount of fuel consumed.
There are 3 main options for fuel control systems:
Telecommunications equipment that works with satellites – Glonass or GPS.
The simplest and most affordable option for small businesses with limited finances.
Type of operation: the device is mounted in a vehicle, and using an electronic map you can track its movement, speed, stops, etc. The calculation of gasoline consumed is carried out by special programs.
This system greatly simplifies the determination of fuel consumption, but has a number of significant disadvantages:
- carried out according to a mathematical formula specified by the program, without taking into account traffic jams, the need to warm up the car, wear and tear, etc., which can lead to errors in calculations;
- not suitable for all types of vehicles (not suitable for stationary vehicles, such as drilling rigs).
A set of equipment, including a transmitting device, gasoline level sensors in the tank and standard sensors.
This is a fairly reliable and economical option that allows you to accurately determine the amount of gasoline poured into the car’s tank and its consumption. The cost of this equipment is quite affordable for a mid-level enterprise.
To monitor the vehicle fleet remotely and analyze the information received from the system, a dispatcher position is required. The optimal combination of price and quality.
Specialized installation with a lot of additional equipment.
Its composition may differ slightly, but the presence of satellite monitoring is mandatory for all configurations. Also, as additional equipment there can be temperature sensors, fuel flow meters, pressure sensors, etc. These systems are used in the largest enterprises that use large amounts of fuel and lubricants - ships, diesel locomotives, universal ground equipment, etc.
Built-in modules automatically process calculations and present users with ready-made reports and graphs on all vehicle performance indicators of interest in a visual form.
Such installations cost a lot, but their implementation leads to significant financial savings for the enterprise. This explains the fairly quick payback of the equipment - on average in just 3 months of operation.
Advantages of fuel consumption monitoring systems
Using a fuel consumption monitoring system at an enterprise allows you to solve the following problems:
- optimization of vehicle fleet maintenance costs;
- theft prevention;
- optimization of the work schedule of all vehicles;
- acquisition control;
- exclusion of non-targeted flights;
- the ability to control the speed of work on equipment (for example, the speed of agricultural operations);
- control over the location of equipment at any time;
- collection and analysis, their analysis and display in the form of reports and graphs.
The effectiveness of implementing a fuel and lubricants monitoring system at an enterprise is also achieved through the psychological impact on workers. Feeling in control, they begin to approach their responsibilities more responsibly, which increases labor efficiency and productivity.
All these factors contribute to significant savings for the organization, increasing its competitiveness.
The introduction of a fuel consumption monitoring system does not exclude the need to organize fuel and lubricants accounting, starting with primary documents.
Accounting for fuel consumption at the enterprise is carried out on the basis of the Regulations “On Accounting and Reporting”.
Gasoline is accepted for accounting at its actual cost - the purchase price excluding VAT to account 10 “Materials” subaccount 3 “Fuel”.
There are no restrictions in the legislation regarding the write-off of the cost of fuel and lubricants to the cost of production. The main condition that allows this to be done is the availability of documents confirming the use of fuel in business activities.
The choice of method depends on the purpose of the car: for production purposes these costs are included in material costs, for management needs - in other costs. Expenses for fuel and lubricants are written off at actual costs. They must be documented and justified from an economic point of view (Article 252 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation).
The process of accounting for fuel and lubricants is simplified by purchasing it using fuel cards. This is an effective and fairly simple method that allows you to keep accurate fuel records and eliminate unauthorized gasoline refills.
To reflect these expenses in the company's accounting, the documents provided by the processing center are sufficient.
Economical fuel consumption and its strict accounting are the most important tasks, the solution of which is a prerequisite for the effective operation of a business entity.
There are a huge number of schemes with the help of which unscrupulous employees working with transport and special equipment can commit fuel fraud. Experts in the implementation of fuel control claim that fuel theft in Russia exists almost everywhere where it is not monitored. On just one unit of transport, a company may be missing about 15,000-30,000 rubles every month. I found out how company employees steal fuel and learned from experts how to deal with it.
Not only drivers and mechanics, but sometimes even the garage manager and chief engineer can take part in illegal business. Experts claim that staff steal fuel from logistics companies in huge quantities, and this can only be countered by introducing special technologies for fuel consumption.
According to Omnicomm (a developer of technological solutions for controlling fuel consumption), costs for fuels and lubricants in companies with a fleet of transport and special equipment account for about 35% of all expenses, and the average volume of fuel theft in 2011 increased by 5%.
The methods of theft are extremely diverse: from the banal draining of fuel from a tank for the purpose of further resale, to the purchase of “left” receipts at gas stations and the manipulation of odometer or hour meter readings.
According to Stanislav Emelyanov, Deputy General Director of Omnicomm, the basis for the possibility of such thefts is, to some extent, created by the almost complete lack of control over vehicle drivers and equipment operators after they leave the garage. “In case of thefts, everything comes into play - “wrong” checks, inflating mileage, collusion with tankers, etc.,” says Emelyanov. “In addition, highly functional control systems such as tachographs or GPS/GLONASS trackers turn out to be ineffective against fuel drains, after all, with the same mileage, but different engine operating modes, fuel consumption can vary by 2-3 times. And construction equipment that works without leaving the site is generally useless to control using navigation systems. On the other hand, the increase in theft volume is also associated with the rise in price of commercial fuel and an increase in its price on the black market and, as a result, its value for thieves.”
The construction industry leads in terms of theft volume
The leaders in the volume of thefts this year, as in the past, are the construction industry and mining, which is associated with the high fuel consumption of construction equipment, as well as the impossibility of accurately regulating its consumption when operating mounted mechanisms. According to Emelyanov, in these industries the volume of thefts amounts to up to 60% of the allocated volume of fuel and lubricants. At the same time, the volume of thefts in the freight transportation industry has decreased somewhat, which is associated with the active implementation of various control and monitoring systems for vehicles.
In 2012, Omnicomm experts predict a further increase in the level of theft due to a general increase in fuel prices and the activation of the black market, as well as the likely stagnation of wages in the construction and freight transportation industries. At the same time, under the pressure of market demand, the volume of thefts in industries where monitoring systems are being massively implemented will decrease, and in industries with a weak control system, such as, for example, construction, they will grow at a faster pace.
“It is interesting that the problems of fuel theft are relevant not only for Russia,” continues Emelyanov. “In foreign markets, sensors and systems for monitoring and controlling fuel are in great demand. Especially in Argentina, Brazil, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Turkey, Chile, the Czech Republic, South Africa, as well as in other countries."
How to deal with theft?
The press service of X5 Retail Group reported that the company is very sensitive to the issue of fuel consumption. “If these costs were growing, we would not be able to offer customers low prices for products,” says Vladimir Rusanov, head of the regional projects department for public relations. “As part of the optimization of logistics processes, we were able to establish effective control over transport costs and "First of all, over the maintenance and operation of the vehicle fleet. We have built a system in the company for recording fuel consumption, checking and monitoring employees, in which theft or unreasonable consumption of gasoline is practically excluded."
What kind of accounting systems are these? “To successfully combat fuel theft, specialized systems for monitoring fuel consumption are required, both independent - for example, for construction equipment that does not leave the site, and combined with GLONASS/GPS trackers - for freight transport, allowing not only to track its position, but and clearly control fuel consumption,” says Emelyanov. “Such systems are based on a high-precision sensor for the amount of fuel in the tank, as well as a specialized control unit that monitors engine operating parameters and determines real fuel consumption.” He said that such systems are installed on dump trucks, excavators, quarry equipment, loaders, pipe layers, diesel power plants, diesel locomotives, fuel tankers, drilling rigs and other types of vehicles and special equipment, as well as water transport.
Emelyanov also emphasized that an important issue is the ratio of losses from fuel theft and the cost of installing such a system, which determines its payback period. According to the experience of Omnicomm, this period never exceeds several months, and in some cases the system pays for itself in a few weeks.
The introduction of a fuel consumption monitoring and control system makes it possible to prevent fuel theft and misuse of equipment by drivers, effectively normalize fuel costs, control the movement of vehicles, as well as compliance with the route and schedule. In addition, the integration of a fuel consumption monitoring system into the company’s accounting system will make it possible to effectively suppress “complex” theft schemes, including not only drivers, but also management and accountants. And in some cases it helps resolve controversial issues regarding the use of technology in relations with clients.
“In general, the use of fuel consumption monitoring systems can allow an enterprise to almost painlessly withstand the increase in fuel costs to the European level of 1.5 euros/liter, which is just around the corner,” summarizes Emelyanov.
How to recover excess gasoline consumption from a driver?
Today, the problem of excessive fuel consumption is one of the main ones for many motor transport enterprises.
In most cases, drivers are the culprits of excessive fuel consumption.
On the one hand, they use equipment and transport for personal purposes: “left trips”, work on the side, and do not comply with the conditions for economical driving.
On the other hand, they drain and steal fuel and write off money for purchases. In this case, counterfeit receipts are purchased and the money is written off, or, for example, the car is filled with low-quality surrogate on the highway for half the price; quite often the driver colludes with the gas station operator (the receipt indicates one volume, but in fact the fuel entered the tank in a smaller volume, the difference issued to the driver in the form of cash).
It is possible to refuel in one country using your own money and provide a check from another country for a larger amount or refuel using someone else’s car card.
It is often practiced to drain fuel from the tank, while adjusting the speedometer or engine hour readings. In these cases, the additional “income” of drivers is at least half of their official salary.
As a result, the company loses money not only from stolen fuel. The service life of the equipment is consumed, and the technical condition of the machines is deteriorating.
Often, everyone knows that fuel is being stolen - both the director and the deputy. directors, and the garage manager, and the chief accountant, and this is considered the norm. The problem is that it is almost impossible to prove the driver’s guilt without the use of special equipment or special methods.
The only way to recover excess fuel consumption from the driver is to impose full financial responsibility on the employee.
Article 242. Full financial liability of the employee
The employee’s full financial liability consists of his obligation to compensate the direct actual damage caused to the employer in full.
Material liability in the full amount of damage caused may be assigned to the employee only in cases provided for by this Code or other federal laws."
But today, the use of this method in most cases is only possible in theory. In practice, the opposite is true. In order to ultimately bring the driver to justice, you must first prove that the excessive consumption of gasoline is a consequence of his illegal actions, and not of any other persons or factors.
The fact is that there are many reasons for excessive fuel consumption - starting from the class of the road on which you have to drive and ending with the technical condition of the car.
Article 243. Cases of full financial liability
Financial liability in the full amount of damage caused is assigned to the employee in the following cases:
1) when, in accordance with this Code or other federal laws, the employee is held financially liable in full for damage caused to the employer during the performance of the employee’s job duties;
2) shortage of valuables entrusted to him on the basis of a special written agreement or received by him under a one-time document;
3) intentional infliction of damage;
4) causing damage while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other toxic substances;
5) damage caused as a result of the employee’s criminal actions established by a court verdict;
6) damage caused as a result of an administrative violation, if established by the relevant government body;
7) disclosure of information constituting a secret protected by law (state, official, commercial or other), in cases provided for by federal laws;
8) damage was caused while the employee was not performing his job duties.
Full financial liability for damage caused to the employer can be established by an employment contract or a special agreement.
Article 244. Written agreements on the full financial responsibility of employees
Written agreements on full individual or collective (team) financial liability (clause 2 of part one of Article 243 of this Code), that is, on compensation to the employer for damage caused in full for the shortage of property entrusted to employees, can be concluded with employees who have reached the age of eighteen years and directly servicing or using monetary, commodity values or other property.
In this case, if it is discovered that the driver has overused gasoline, the management of the organization can recover a sum of money in the full amount of the losses incurred.
Table 1. Technical malfunctions of the car causing excessive fuel consumption
Fuel injection vehicles Diesel vehicles
Engine power is reduced for some reason;
The oxygen sensor or its circuit is faulty;
Any of the temperature sensors or their circuits are faulty;
The ignition timing system is faulty;
The air flow sensor or its circuit is faulty;
The throttle position sensor or its circuit is faulty;
Leaking of some injector (most often the cold start injector, if there is one);
The air filter is clogged;
Weak ignition spark;
The boost system is faulty;
The timing drive marks are installed incorrectly;
The pressure control system in the intake manifold is faulty;
Incorrect gasoline pressure;
Valve clearances are not adjusted;
Poor rolling (for example due to flat tires);
The fluid coupling is faulty (for cars with an automatic transmission);
Incorrect operation of the automatic transmission;
The drive axle is faulty.
Reduced engine power;
Faulty injectors;
Lack of air supplied to the intake manifold;
Incorrect injection timing;
The engine does not warm up to operating temperature;
Incorrect operation of toxicity reduction systems.
The most common cases are when the carburetor or injector has not been repaired. Of course, large ATPs usually have workshops for repairing rolling stock, but carburetor adjustment can only be done correctly on a special stand, which accurately determines the air flow and fuel flow through the carburetor. If there is no such stand, then we can assume that the carburetor, in principle, cannot be adjusted accurately.
An important point is the quality of the fuel. For example, if you fill the tank with “straight race” or some kind of surrogate, it will lead to a decrease in torque and power, and the driver will subconsciously “press on the gas” (i.e., increase the fuel supply to the engine cylinders) in order to drive in the usual mode.
Driving style also affects fuel consumption. For some drivers it is more economical, for others it is more aggressive. A truly economical driving style can only be developed by driving a car equipped with electronic fuel injection and an on-board computer that shows instantaneous fuel consumption in l/100km. Visual sensations and subjective habits of drivers will not provide significant savings.
In addition, so-called “underfilling” at gas stations is common today. On average they are 50-100 ml per 1 liter of gasoline.
Most organizations often do not want to look for the real reasons for excessive consumption of gasoline, but simply use their own methods to collect monetary compensation from drivers.
Some organizations deprive employees of bonuses. But firstly, a bonus is an incentive payment that is paid subject to the achievement of certain indicators, in this case - compliance with fuel consumption standards. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to use deprivation. Secondly, the employee’s actions are rewarded, i.e. if the excessive consumption of gasoline is not caused by the actions of the driver, and he is deprived of a bonus, sooner or later he will also begin to “steal.”
Others withhold excess fuel consumption from employees from their wages, without having evidence of his guilt. But in this case, we should not forget that the driver may well apply to the court to declare the order to deduct from wages illegal. As a result, there will be a lot of problems with litigation.
A number of organizations are suing employees. And in most cases, even with solid evidence of the drivers’ guilt, they lose. Because, firstly, it is necessary to carry out an automotive technical examination, to find out whether the technical condition of the car really allows it to meet consumption standards. But even new cars that have just come off the assembly line do not always meet the standards, let alone cars that have a decent mileage. In addition, examination is an additional cost. But even if it is possible to prove that the car consumes gasoline according to the norm, it is possible to prove the driver’s guilt only in one case - “by catching him by the hand.”
Of course, it is possible to convict a specific driver of excessive fuel consumption.
And there are quite a lot of ways. For example, conducting random “surveillances”, attaching inspectors, conducting test drives to measure the normal rate of fuel consumption by the car, etc. But all this, as a rule, spends a lot of time and money, and most importantly, the result is only temporary.
Each leader himself chooses which path to follow. Do drivers need to be supervised? “They steal, well, let them steal!” - one manager will say, and, as a rule, this enterprise either has a small fleet of vehicles, or it is a state enterprise where budget funds are spent. “But they treat the car with care, like a nurse.”
Probably, the driver’s attitude towards the car still depends on the person. There are drivers who do more work, and there is always enough gasoline, and the interior is clean, and the car needs less repairs, and there are those who constantly say that “I was stuck in a traffic jam all day, did little, but spent a lot of gasoline, tomorrow I’ll have to go to the gas station again in the morning,” and the car is like a “corned horse.”
Many companies will not agree with this point of view. Control is necessary: how the equipment is operated, because the enterprise paid for its purchase, accordingly, it must operate it for its own purposes and spend money on gasoline in accordance with the operation of the equipment.
The best way out of this situation is the use of special systems and equipment. Today, there are many systems on the market of motor vehicles and special equipment, the main task of which is control and fuel economy.
GLONASS/GPS device (vehicle controller)
Terminals containing a GLONASS/GPS receiver, a microcontroller, flash memory and a GSM modem are installed on vehicles. Navigation satellites emit signals by which the terminal receiver determines the coordinates of the vehicle. All received information is transmitted to the Internet server of the satellite tracking and monitoring system. If the object is located outside the coverage area of the GSM network, then the information is stored in the memory of the GLONASS/GPS terminal for the last three months of operation. The equipment is connected, secretly installed and sealed. At the same time, such systems have the possibility of adding axle load sensors, cargo temperature sensors and a GPS receiver to the system.
After the first month of operation, the system gives tangible results in the form of the difference between the data from the fuel company’s receipts and actual refills into the car’s tank.
Drivers very often negotiate with the gas station operator about a receipt. By checking receipts with real gas stations, you will see discrepancies of up to 300 liters of fuel per month for a one and a half ton truck and up to 1000 liters for a truck tractor. The savings are decent, not to mention fake receipts and charges - this is very easy to check, the report is compiled in a few seconds, all the driver’s actions are in full view.
Many vehicles are equipped with refrigeration units that are connected either to a separate fuel tank or to the main tank. If earlier drivers said that the overconsumption was caused by the constant operation of the refrigeration unit, now it is clear that the fuel was either drained from the tank, or there are discrepancies between the actual filling in the tank and the receipt.
Many enterprises have strict standards: for example, loading should begin at 5.00 in the morning, not earlier. Before this, the driver could load the car in the evening, leave it idling and go to bed, and arrive in the morning at 8.00 and calmly drive along the route. Now you can see when the engine was started. Drivers are surprised: “How do you know that I started loading at 4.25 am?”
Having learned the real picture of fuel turnover, the managers of some drivers immediately fire them, while others continue to be charged for fuel. And those who have no questions continue to work normally. Consumption rates are significantly reduced, and what we were striving for appears – savings. For a large enterprise, this is a huge amount of money saved.
The system allows you to analyze the work and rest schedule, the operating efficiency of each car, and identify any overexpenditure, including those associated with malfunctions of the fuel or other system of the car, because not all drivers allow themselves to cheat with fuel, there are also honest ones.
There are other advantages of the system: if the gas station fills in a little less fuel, you can see it, if the difference between the check and the gas station is about 10% and is repeated on several cars at this gas station, but on others everything is fine, then you should inform the fuel service companies.
The Wialon system for cargo transportation control allows you to:
1. Monitor vehicles in real time (location, speed, amount of fuel in tanks, sensor status, etc.)
2. Eliminate inappropriate use of transport (You will always know whether your driver was actually “sick”, “broke down”, “detained by the traffic police”, or used official transport for personal purposes.) The Wialon “Hosting” system tracks detailed routes and allows you not only to absolutely prove the fact of a violation, but also to accurately assess the damage caused to you.
3. Ability to control speed limit, mileage
4. Carry out competent logistics, optimize travel routes
5. Prevent unauthorized use of the car
6. Monitor all car fuel fillings and drains, consumption versus time in l/h, consumption versus mileage in l/km
7. Control the place, time, duration of parking and car stops
8. Control the place and time of opening/closing van doors for unloading/loading, cargo delivery schedule
9. Reliable information about the state of the ignition (parking with the engine on or off).
10. Monitoring the conditions of transportation and safety of cargo
11. The ability to receive photographs from an external video camera on-line and have reliable information about the location of the vehicle
12. Monitor group mileage and fuel consumption of the entire fleet at once for any period of time (Information is stored on the server for 3 months)
13. Control of the organization of scheduled maintenance and repair of vehicles.
