ICA, a Mexican construction firm, is using Speed Solutions’ systems to manage the fuel supply for its 3,000-vehicle fleet involved in building the Mayan Train—the largest infrastructure project in Mexico’s history. Now the Colombian fluid control company aims to expand in North America, where it says its Speed Print Link device can help tank truckers monitor the fuel they consume—and the fluids they deliver to customers.
The Speed Print industrial flow and inventory computer manages the transfer of fuels, lubricants, chemicals, liquified gasses, and other countable commodities using real-time data provided by Speed Solutions’ cloud-connected hardware, which integrates with meters, dispensers, registers, level probes, inventory consoles, and fleet management systems using wired connections and a Bluetooth-enabled Android app.
“We have the capability to manage fleets all the way up to 10,000 vehicles identified in the same system,” Pedro Villegas, Speed Solutions lead engineer for international markets, told Bulk Transporter. “So if you have a big fleet of trucks, you will know who is using your oil, diesel, or whatever. You’ll know when they are using it, how they’re using it, and how often. We can track of all your information—all from a single device.”
Speedy management solutions
Speed Solutions, founded in 2003, has distribution in 22 countries, primarily in Central and Latin America, Europe, and Australia. It boasts 11,000 units installed, 100,000 vehicles monitored, and 280 million gallons measured across multiple industries, including fuel distribution, food processing, and bulk transport and logistics. ICA is using the company’s solutions to oversee its refuelers and heavy machinery in Central America’s largest engineering project, which will connect five Mexican states via 1,545 kilometers (960 miles) of track.
“They have integrated our solutions extensively, with daily monitoring of over 26,000 gallons of fuel,” Villegas elaborated. “The partnership stands as testament to the reliability and efficacy of our solutions in facilitating smooth operations in large-scale projects.”
The company creates streamlined software and hardware that automates fluid delivery, and helps reduce investment costs, downtime, and technical support requirements. Speed Solutions also produces dispensers and pumps in Colombia, but currently is focused on increasing the distribution of its robust Speed Print device in the U.S. and Canada. “The company has been growing a lot recently,” Villegas maintained.
Unlimited connectivity
A single vendor-agnostic Speed Print connects up to four single-pulse meters or two double-pulse meters—which enable bi-directional volumetric flow measurements—four probes, four temperature sensors, and four pressure sensors. Fleet identification technology includes near-field communication (NFC), QR codes, iButton serial numbers, and Resilient and Intelligent NextG Systems (RINGS) networking.
The highly scalable Speed Print Link system is optimized for Android platforms.
“The reason for this is that it operates not as a traditional mobile app but as a command console that functions as a human interface device (HID) equipped with the extensive capabilities you’d expect from a modern smartphone, including network connectivity, GPS, and tracking,” Villegas explained. “This device remains in close proximity to the operation site at all times, serving as a crucial tool for managing various aspects of the operation.
“Another advantageous feature of utilizing an Android-based system is the inclusion of NFC reading capabilities, which greatly enhance the functionality and versatility of the system.”
Complete fluid control
Bulk haulers can use the Speed Print Link device to monitor their fleet’s fuel usage, and also for dispatching fuels, and other liquid and gas commodities, using the tank truck’s flow meter and probes in the tank. “For tanker trucks, the movement affects the measurement,” Villegas said. “Usually, you’ll fill the truck, do your fuel deliveries, and then return to the storage tank to compare the difference. Then you’ll know how much fuel you dispensed, and the probes in the tank keep track of the fluid levels in real time.”
Users can see which trucks are dispatching the most product, and set limits for how much product is dispensed, as well as when and where it’s deliverable. Sensors include temperature and pressure sensors for tracking conditions in real time.
Digital identification for dispatching includes volume quotas, credit balances, date and time of transactions, and product type.
“The goal with all of this is to take full control of your fluids,” Villegas said.
