Fuel delivery, decoded: New partnership streamlines wet-hosing from order to invoice

Fuel delivery is a mission-critical operation. It’s also considerably complex. And no variation is more challenging than mobile, metered fuel delivery—aka “wet-hosing” in the U.S. and “wheel-to-wheel” in Canada—via tank wagon. The process begins with order intake and dispatching, ends with delivery confirmation and invoicing, and features numerous in-field steps, from equipment selection to bulk transportation, product transfer, and ticket creation.

“We deliver diesel to remote construction sites and highly dense urban rehabilitation zones,” said Brett Taylor, general manager at Thunder5, an on-site refueler in Nisku, Alberta, Canada.

“In Canada, we’ll pour concrete into the winter, when it’s minus-20 degrees Celsius (minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and there’s 2 feet of snow outside, so the ground must be heated before and after the job. And the pour might take a few hours, but our work to fuel those heaters takes weeks—often in treacherous conditions and tight locations tractor-trailers can’t reach. So, these are small deliveries for critical infrastructure, and if we don’t bring fuel, contractors are running with a jerry can and risking a spill. Then it becomes a safety issue.”

Safety always is top of mind in tank truck activities, so Taylor worries about spills in Thunder5’s operations, too. But mobile fuel delivery complexity introduces many risks, and spills are only one. Unintended product mixes and data entry errors are equally grave concerns; and managing the exchange is costly, time-consuming, and typically requires multiple platforms—until now. That’s because the conundrum recently caught the attention of a coalition of technology innovators, including U.S.-based software company TrueTMS and Canadian tanker technology firm TankTroniks, who came together to create a cohesive, end-to-end solution that delivers 360-degree visibility.

“We share the same admiration for this industry, so we have a great relationship,” said George Thellman, TrueTMS director of business development and strategic relations. “You would think that we’ve been working together for years, but really it’s only been a few months.”

TrueTMS and TankTroniks introduced their newly integrated offering—which merges TrueLiquid transportation management with FuelTransIT fuel metering—during the Western Petroleum Marketers Association’s 2026 Expo in Las Vegas, where they spotlighted a pilot with Thunder5 and demonstrated the system’s streamlined simplicity between their digitally connected booths.

“We’re going to fundamentally change how fuel is delivered in North America,” predicted William Breckenridge, TankTroniks president.

Taming the ‘Wild West’

TrueTMS, part of T3 Tech, is a software-as-a-services (SaaS) provider founded in 2022 by Dr. Naren Lakshmipathy, a physician and serial entrepreneur who formed the Pain Management Group before shifting his focus to transport tech with the goal of optimizing onerous business processes. TrueTMS’s web-based products include TrueFleet, TrueCast, and TrueLiquid, launched in 2024 as a modern, affordable transportation management system (TMS) purpose-built to help small to mid-sized bulk fleets enhance safety, efficiency, and profitability. “We don’t have a big headcount or brick-and-mortar locations,” said Jared Akers, T3 Tech managing director. “So, we’re strategic in how we deploy our funding, and that allows us to keep our margins at a level where we can pass on that value to customers.”

The company also drives value by eliminating unnecessary functions, accelerating decision-making with MongoDB’s database, and facilitating secure connections through API-centric architecture. And TrueLiquid’s interactive and intelligent dashboard allows tank truck fleets to manage diverse equipment and systems using a single, intuitive interface. “My mom, who’s 77 and not a techie, could run a trucking company with our software,” Thellman joked.

TrueLiquid onboarded 10 fuel-hauling fleets, primarily in the convenience-store delivery space, in its first 18 months. Now, aided by their collaboration with TankTroniks, leaders are aiming to accelerate growth by offering underserved tank wagon fleets a closed-loop solution that simplifies the experience for drivers, dispatchers, and account managers. “It’s the Wild West in tank wagon because existing TMS systems don’t serve them well,” Thellman said.

“That’s why I think we’ll see growth in the tank wagon companies who adopt this technology, because they’ll be able to handle more capacity—which they don’t know they can do right now because they’re still looking at spreadsheets.” Implementation is easy due to the team’s customer-friendly approach, and fleets can expect to rapidly recover their initial investment, Thellman added. “We’ve already seen customers grow without expanding their footprint,” he said.

“So, it’s possible to realize your ROI within six months.”

Seamless tech synergy

TankTroniks, founded in 2019, is a family-owned and -operated company led by William and his sons: Cole, product manager; Taylor, controller; and Luke, who’s in production and logistics. William, who’s expertise is in electronics engineering, entered the refined fuels space while working with Titan Logix, where he also developed a relationship with MechTronic, which first adapted French manufacturer ALMA Group’s “Microcompt+” technology in 2016.

MechTronic teamed with fuel distributor Merit Oil, TankTroniks, and Depot Connect International (DCI) to introduce its “OptiMate” to the U.S. last September at the California Fuels and Convenience Alliance Summit. That’s where Thellman got his first look at the system, which automates line and compartment changes, and manifold draining. “It’s cool,” he said. “It’s completely hands-free. You hook up the hose, scan the barcode, and it automatically dispenses fuel and purges the line.” TankTroniks—which also supplies the Tanker Control Module in the SafeHeat TTS in-transit heater PT Coupling unveiled last summer—offers two “FuelTransIT” metering systems tailored for the U.S. and Canada: OptiMate and the slimmed-down Optio.

“There are about 1,000 of these systems already in use in the U.K.,” William said.

All FuelTransIT systems prevent accidental mixes and unauthorized deliveries through product and customer validations, and record digital delivery data, streamlining the driver process and improving cash flow. And the TrueLiquid integration populates delivery information in real time—without any human intervention. “We’re closing the loop from dispatch to delivery,” William said. “We love people, but they’re prone to mistakes, so we’re ensuring alignment from order to billing, and taking the guesswork and opportunities for error out of the system.”

They’re also creating a competitive advantage for future-focused fleets.

“Early adopters have told us they wouldn’t have survived without FuelTransIT on their trucks,” Cole said. “The error prevention, cost mitigation, and add-on value for customers are indispensable.”

Tested in the trenches

Thunder5 started in 2021 as rolling laboratory for TankTroniks’ tanker technology in Canada—but quickly morphed into a “growing concern” in a niche market thanks to the FuelTransIT system. The company now makes up to 50 deliveries a day with a fleet of three tank wagons: a Ford F-550 Super Duty with a 4,500-liter tank, an F-550 with a 2,000-liter two-compartment tank split 50-50, and a Freightliner M2 with a 9,000-liter, two-compartment tank split 65-35. All three run with Blackmer pumps, GPI nozzles, and FuelTransIT Optio units.

“We have trucks on the road 22 hours a day, across three shift rotations, seven days a week,” Taylor said.

His team, which includes operations coordinator Dan Foster and lead driver Trevor Stutters, began working with TrueTMS in late 2025. “They’ve been great,” Stutters said. “It’s quite refreshing, because they recognize what they don’t have and work with you to figure it out. It’s impressive.” After several months of preparation, Thunder5 began testing the complete TrueTMS-TankTroniks solution in January—with immediate results. “Our team is realizing significant benefits,” Taylor said. “Previously, it took five steps, with all the different programs and procedures we used to dispatch, invoice, log, and summarize the information customers wanted.

“With Optio and TrueLiquid, we can complete the process in minutes.”

The holistic system also is boosting driver satisfaction—and Thunder5’s capacity to take on new business, Taylor added. “It’s a privilege to be part of something we believe is groundbreaking for our industry,” he concluded.

Beyond the spreadsheet

The bottom line: Thunder5 isn’t satisfied with the way things are. They’re looking to innovate—just like TankTroniks and TrueTMS. “We don't do status quo,” Thellman said. “We challenge it, and we think outside the box.”

For Thunder5, that means using their additional capacity to expand their footprint and services, including acting as an “industrial vending machine” for remote customers with multiple needs. And for TankTroniks, it means moving beyond upfitters like DCI and Advance Engineered Products to deliver a factory-installed option for all OEMs—once they’ve generated enough interest. “I've talked to a lot of sales guys across the industry who’ve discussed the Optimate solution with fleets,” Cole said. “And there are a lot of people watching to see how these first trials go.

“Once they see the product works, and does what we say, hopefully it’s just a matter of keeping up with demand.”

TrueTMS leaders expect demand to surge. That’s why they’re setting ambitious growth targets, while also contemplating what’s next, including verifying loaded amounts, integrating delivery intelligence from DTN and Tandem Concepts, and working with insurers to lower costs. Because fuel deliveries will always be critical. But they don’t have to be complicated.

“Tank wagon companies get left behind because everybody focuses on the large gravity-drop deliveries, and they forget about the smaller infrastructures, or construction sites and airports, that need deliveries, too. Then they try to shoehorn them into generic TMS systems.

“So, I’m excited about this partnership—and we have to get it right.”