Charlene O’Connor, Chief Executive at Fueltone, explains how additives can help fleet efficiency.
It is in this environment that we see the rise of a plethora of cost-saving aids, whether it is technology driven, advice on efficient driver behaviour, or a magic concoction that can melt away all the mechanical and fuel-related problems. There is never one quick fix. But fuel additives form a realistic solution to some of the issues facing fleet operators.
The challenge for these types of products is to be able to make a measurable difference, whilst being sustainable and returning a net saving in costs. Likewise, fleet operators must overcome the issue of finding out which products work for them. Fueltone has taken the extra step to have its core diesel and petrol products tested at independent testing facilities.
Charlene O’Connor comments, “The challenges faced by our industry are unfortunately shared by many other segments of our economy. Despite general election promises, I’m afraid austerity and a relatively weak economy appear to be here to stay for the time being.
“The bottom line is that fleet operators have to bring down costs, improve productivity of both drivers and vehicles, deal with a volatile fuel market, make sure they are “green”, and manage a safe fleet. It’s hard to envy this task.”
For the commercial vehicle market, Fueltone has developed a range of products that can aid fleet managers with both cost and environmental issues. The company’s Diesel Additive improves fuel consumption by between 9-14% in LCVs and reduces particulates by up to 86%. It achieves this by simply improving combustion and cleaning the fuel system. At a dosing level of 1ml/L of fuel, it’s extremely cost effective.
By lowering particulates, the load on the DPF is significantly reduced, and for those with more serious issues there is a specific in-tank DPF additive. In more extreme cases of DPF blockage, a potential solution is the DPF Foam Burst, which cleans the more stubborn ash and carbon in situ or off the vehicle.
Similarly, in response to customer feedback, Fueltone has developed two further engine treatments. The company found that many mechanics were using the neat fuel additive to fill filters for restarting diesels. This was worrying as, whilst it would certainly help start the engine, it wasn’t designed to be used neat.
So, Fueltone developed the Diesel System Primer, which advances ignition whilst protecting the fuel pump and system. This has aided many of Fueltone’s customers and fleet users who waste an inordinate amount of time attempting to restart difficult diesels.
Secondly, the Engine Flush from Fueltone reduces total run time whilst not affecting its ability to flush. It is able to break down residue into small parts, enabling them to be safely flushed out, and it captures any free water and lubricates. The flush has run time of between two and five minutes, compared to the standard 30-40 minutes.
The other consideration factored in by Fueltone is packaging size. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that a 500ml bottle isn’t going to go far, so Fueltone has incorporated packaging options from 500ml through 5L to 210L and intermediate bulk containers (IBC). This also helps to keep costs down for Fueltone’s commercial customers.
