General · Guide
What to focus on when choosing a fuel management solution
By Fleet Fuel Index ·
A short checklist for fleet and fuel managers comparing On-Site systems. Cover pump controllers, tank monitoring, vehicle ID, telematics links, reporting and total cost before you buy.
Practical guide for fleet and fuel managers. General information, not purchasing, tax or financial advice.
An On-Site fuel management system should match how the depot works today. Write down tank sizes, pump types, who fuels there and which reports finance already uses. Then score each supplier against that list.
Map the depot first
List tanks, products, pump count and typical daily dispenses. Note visitors, hired vehicles and any shared sites. Decide whether drivers use a fob, PIN, app, vehicle tag or a mix.
Set the hard rules before you see a pitch. Product limits, quantity caps, time windows and who can authorise a dispense. Soft preferences come second.
Pump controllers
Ask how the controller starts and stops a dispense. Confirm it works with your pump make and any AdBlue or oil points. Check offline behaviour if the site loses connectivity.
Our On-Site Fuel Index lists systems by country and capability, so you can shortlist before a site visit.
Tank level monitoring
Ask how often levels update and how alerts reach you. Confirm whether delivery and dispense volumes reconcile automatically. Check how stock variances are investigated.
If you use vendor-managed inventory, ask how the supplier reads the same data.
Vehicle ID and authorisation
Test the path from identify to dispense. Can you set product and quantity limits per vehicle? Does odometer or engine-hours capture work in practice?
Ask how the system handles visitors, hired vehicles and lost fobs. Prefer controls that stop an unauthorised dispense at the pump, not a report that arrives later.
Telematics and software integration
Check whether dispense data feeds your telematics or fleet software. Confirm export formats finance can import without retyping. Ask who owns the data if you change supplier.
Reporting and reconciliation
Ask for sample reports that match your fleet size. Look for vehicle, driver, product, quantity, time and tank stock on one view. Confirm how you match depot fuel to public-card fuel if you use both.
Hardware support and total cost
Ask about install, training, spare parts and response times for a failed pump or probe. Factor in dual-running if you replace an old controller.
Compare the full cost: hardware, software licences, communications, install and ongoing support. Run a short pilot on one site before you roll out.
Keep it practical. This is general guidance for fleet and fuel managers, not purchasing advice. Published features change. Re-check the supplier page, and your own stock records, before you decide. Start with our On-Site Fuel Index.
Sources
Sources opened on 10 November 2026. This page does not claim those sources have been re-read since that date.
General information for fleet and fuel managers. Not tax, financial or purchasing advice.