Road Tanker Systems’ story dates back to 2004. What started as manual calculations and Excel spreadsheets turned into a side hustle and, from there, developed into what is now known as the company’s flagship tool – the Road Tanker Load Calculator (RTLC).
The RTLC is a mass management system specifically designed and built for the bulk fuel and lubricants logistics industry which allows operators to calculate axle weights and overall combination weights for different load configurations. The calculator, which was established in New Zealand and later expanded across Australia and into Canada, is what Road Tanker Systems considers to be equivalent to a Smart On-Board Mass (OBM) system, but without the hardware.
“We can deliver the same results, predicting optimal loads before drivers hit the terminal using real-time density data,” says Road Tanker Systems Sales Manager, Simon Lytollis. “We can help planners or drivers figure out how much to load on each combination to achieve optimum legal delivery volume. So, we can essentially tell users the results before they’ve even started the truck.”
The RTLC’s main objective is to ensure that every load out of the gate is legal but maximises delivery volume, and it allows operators to optimise their fleet in three ways.
Firstly, it helps them to start planning how they can load efficiently. This provides the biggest delivery volume uplift. For further efficiency gains, a daily product density feed from the terminals helps optimise batch and temperature variations throughout the year. Lastly, fleet modifications such as fifth wheels or different unit combinations can be tested. The goal is to see every axle group loaded to its legal maximum to know the operator is being as efficient as possible.
“We see more and more fuel logistics companies modernising and becoming aware of the value of efficiency in every area of their operations,” Simon says. “With changing densities, every load is different. So, it becomes difficult to know when and how to squeeze out that last few per cent that can mean the difference between profit and loss. This is the exact problem that we solve.”
The RTLC’s load calculator eliminates the guesswork out of load planning. This saves costs, avoids fines and maximises every trip. Its advanced ‘Auto Optimise’ functionality uses linear programming to solve compartment volumes and automatically balances axle and combination weights to stay within legal weight limits – resulting in more efficient deliveries and improved productivity. Due to its proven methodology, the calculated results are impressively accurate (calculated within 2.5 per cent on any axle group).
The concept of calculating fuel tanker axle weights has also been used by the RTLC’s architect for more than 12 years in similar systems built for BP and Linfox. Road Tanker Systems claims tanker manufacturers also use the same mathematical principles for their design calculations.
The RTLC system itself has been quietly operating since late 2016. In that time, its users have completed nearly 250,000 calculated loads to help shape the calculator into final product that Road Tanker Systems has today.
“By using this tool, users can transport more fuel in less time while giving them the peace of mind that their fleet is loaded safely and legally,” Simon says. “Our existing clients have typically seen between a three- to six-per-cent uplift in delivery volumes across their fleets. From DEF Group to Simpsons Fuel, RTLC has proven to increase payload capacity and simplify compliance while delivering Return on Investment through smarter logistics.”
Other features include support for High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) permits which allows users to configure override for axles, gross combination weight limits or specific states/routes; ‘Multidrop Checks’ which ensures a run with multiple farm or small drops stay legal at all times as deliveries are made and the compartment volumes change; ‘Saved Loads’ which allows regular delivery runs to be set up for repeat use; and ‘Audit Loads’ which save the finalised loads to a date time stamped audit log. This log can’t be changed once the load is committed as the audit trail is locked down and ready to retrieve any load at any time, on screen or downloaded as a PDF.
In addition, the RTLC’s ‘Fleet Management’ interface has been refined with extensive testing to fit real-world conditions. It has scaled unit diagrams and features to correctly calibrate fleet equipment during onboarding.
“We pride ourselves on offering comprehensive support for a wide range of transportation units and configurations,” Simon says. “Our expertise ensures that no matter the combination or complexity of a fleet, we can keep its operations running efficiently.”
Looking ahead, Road Tanker Systems intends to build on the RTLC by launching a planning tool later this year. An in-cab app for completing deliveries onsite is also in the pipeline to follow that, along with a few other connected experiences around driver and maintenance management as well.
“The future of fuel logistics is about moving smarter,” Simon says. “RTLC solves today’s loading headaches while building toward tomorrow’s connected fleet.”
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