The dirtiest word in the fuel-hauling industry is “cross-drop,” which refers to the accidental unloading of a fuel product into the wrong storage tank. The consequences of a cross-drop often are so financially damaging they leave an irremovable stain on a carrier’s reputation. That’s why one Texas-based fuel hauler is turning to Berrys Technologies’ Midas Elbow to eradicate the word from its vocabulary.
Berrys’ Midas Elbow is an anti-contamination drop gun that delivers “simple and seamless” operation. Drivers activate the elbow by latching to the filling position and presenting an RFID tag located in the spill bucket before dropping their load as usual. The Midas Elbow monitors for the correct fuel and shuts off if the wrong one is identified, Berrys reported.
“It makes our drivers slow down and double-check the products they are unloading,” said Skylar Fronk, transportation and logistics manager at Booker, Texas-based Fronk Oil, and a former driver himself. “Even if they are still wrong after double-checking, it stops a very expensive mistake from happening, essentially removing human error.
“We haven’t had a cross-drop since deploying the technology.”
That’s why the Midas Elbow is gaining traction in the U.S., with a major fuel retailer rolling out more than 200 Midas valves across its fleet, initially in Dallas, and then Louisiana and Minneapolis, Berrys said.
Family-owned Fronk Oil discovered the Midas Elbow while searching for an affordable cross-drop technology designed for fuel freight businesses. Now word is spreading among the curious drivers who’ve seen these drop elbows on tank trailers at loading racks. “Drivers complained about taking the extra step to double-check drops in the beginning, but they quickly adjusted to the new routine,” Frank shared.
“Now we’re operating smoothly, with no lost time. The business is running as it should.”
Replacing all regular fuel delivery elbows with Midas Elbows eliminates the risk of accidentally mixing gasoline and diesel, Berrys said. And investing in risk reduction also can help lower insurance premiums. Fronk Oil reports it is enjoying a “hefty reduction” in fees since presenting the technology to its insurer, leading Skylar to equip every trailer in Fronk’s fleet with the Midas Elbow.
Going forward, Berrys plans to introduce the “Midas Link” early next year. The small data-receiving device is mounted on the trailer, providing communications with the Midas Elbow after each drop, and notifying operators in real-time about cross-drop attempts. The device also supplies other useful data, including delivery times, location, analytics, and performance information.
“It’s an all-in-one, cross-drop protection and fleet monitoring kit,” Berrys concluded.