| e-TRACK by Emphasis Telematics in the tankers servicing BP Hellas’s network of gas stations |
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By Dimitris Dertouzos, Road Safety & Controls Team Leader, BP Hellas and The Company Since 1951 BP Hellas is considered an important presence in Greece in the field of energy and is one of the largest private companies in the country with pioneering ideas and scientific achievements, without overlooking for a moment the important factors Man, Environment, and Safety. The company operated 19 fuel installations and trades oil products throughout mainland and inland Greece. Its perfectly organized retail network includes 1450 gas stations with the BP name, a full line of products and services, and a modern fleet management system for the administration of its customers’ vehicles, aiming at saving time and energy. BΡ Hellas holds a leading position in the Greek market in the area of lubricants with a wide range of lubricant products for all sectors, and is one of the largest suppliers of fuel and lubricants for aircrafts in 23 airports and ships in 70 countries, servicing international airlines and shipping agencies, while operating simultaneously in the field of chemicals. BP Hellas is in constant search for new business opportunities in Greece.
The Need The fleet of tanker trucks which supply the BP Hellas gas station network in all of Greece is made up of approximately 200 vehicles. The vehicles load at the company’s installations in Aspropyrgos and Thessoloniki. The number of vehicles as well as the specialized conditions in fuel transport form the following needs: o The best possible servicing of the gas stations, which is the main job of the fleet. Deliveries must be made in specific time windows. Gas station managers should be able to electronically track the status of their order at all of its phases. Already orders are being sent electronically through the company’s VPN. The goal was to extend the tracking of the order status by the gas stations to cover the geographic location of the tanker carrying the order, as well as the estimated time of arrival at the gas station. o The improvement of the tankers’ utilization and the daily execution of deliveries (with time restrictions and other restrictions) in the most economic way possible. The high cost of the vehicles (fixed and variable) and the large participation of transport costs to the overall cost of the transferred goods, demand the utilization of available capabilities, which can be achieved by fleet management for the reduction of transport costs. o The safety, first of the personnel (vehicle drivers) and second of the transported products. The high value of the transported fuel, combined with the extended delivery schedule to the stations, sets the need for a capability of the driver to instantly and discretely alert predetermined individuals of an emergency situation. The alert message must include the licence plate of the vehicle in danger, its geographic location, and its status. o The reliable and continuous tracking of a multitude of gauges and measurements, targeted at the long-term extraction of conclusions in relation to the transportation operations. These measurements had to do with: vehicle cost centers, personnel and product, actual stop duration at each station (mean times and allocation), actual motion duration from the centers to the station, etc. o The real-time tracking of the smooth progress of orders and the avoidance of human errors during delivery. This check demands the simultaneous transmission of the sealed-parcel information with which the tankers are equipped. o The ability to effectively cooperate and unite all modern technological means included in the transportation effort, such as the automated routing system Shortrec, the sealed parcel system, the fuel measurement systems within each tank compartment, etc.
The fleet management solution, e-TRACK by Emphasis Telematics, was called upon to offer a solution to the above needs. The implementation of the system includes innovative solutions, in accordance with the above needs. It includes the following features: o Electronic vehicle unit which includes satellite tracking and GPRS communications for the transmission of data in real time. o Interface with the sealed parcel systems of the tank, along with the development of the right communications protocols between the two electronic devices. Also, the data of the sealed parcel (sealed/unsealed compartment, opened/closed tap, etc.) are presented through then e-TRACK software and also on specialized reports, combined with vehicle movement information. o Allowing for cooperation with a volume measuring system within the tanks. o Supply of an independent power source to the e-TRACK unit when safety reasons demanded for all power to the tank to be cut. o Installation according to ADR anti-explosion regulations. o Panic button inside the driver cockpit. Installed in a discrete location and easily accessed while driving. o Pilot installation of PDA-type devices in the vehicles. They offer the ability of two-way communication with the dispatch office as well as the filling out of special forms by the driver in relation to the gas station. o Automatic communication shut down for safety reasons when the vehicles in within the installations. Communications are restored when the vehicle leaves the installations. o Creation of an online communications bridge with the automated routing software, Shortrec. This interface includes: update of e-TRACK with orders handled by each vehicle, delivery time windows, common coding of delivery points, update of Shortrec with the vehicle’s current location (so as to be able to dynamically re-route), etc. o Differential correction of geographic vehicle positions, with the installation of a differential correction station. This method achieves outstanding accuracy in vehicle location (up to 1 meter) and allows for the correct determination of the vehicle’s position in cases of tight parking situations. It is applied for the separation of points very close to each other: loading, receiving paperwork, and parking in the Aspropyrgos installation. o Notification of the gas stations through the internet on the vehicle’s current location and the estimated time of arrival to the gas station. e-TRACK is notified of the order assignment to the vehicle through the interface with the automated routing software Shortrec. o Development of custom reports according to the specialized needs described above. * Mr. Dertouzos is a Mechanical Engineer with experience in logistics and safety issues. He holds the position of Road Safety & Controls Team Leader in BP Hellas’s Transportation department ** Mr. Venizelos is a Information Technology Engineer and has substantial experience in Transportation Engineering and Telematics. He is Sales Manager at Emphasis Telematics.
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The Solution
