Dedicated vs Shared Diesel Tanks: Choosing the Right Fuel Monitoring Solution for Refrigerated Trucks
Diesel is a significant operating cost for transport companies running refrigerated trucks and trailers. However, monitoring fuel consumption can be challenging when diesel powers both the truck’s engine and its refrigeration unit.
The challenge depends on how the vehicle’s fuel system is configured. Some refrigeration units have their own dedicated diesel tank, while others draw fuel directly from the truck’s main tank.
Understanding this difference is the first step towards accurate refrigeration fuel monitoring and better fuel accountability.
1. Dedicated Refrigeration Fuel Tanks
A dedicated refrigeration tank supplies diesel exclusively to the refrigeration unit, separate from the truck’s main fuel tank.
This configuration makes independent fuel monitoring more straightforward. By installing a suitable fuel probe in the refrigeration tank, fleet operators can monitor fuel levels and record changes independently of the truck’s main tank.
This can help fleet managers:
- Monitor refrigeration fuel levels.
- Identify refuelling events and investigate discrepancies.
- Detect unexpected fuel-level reductions.
- Review refrigeration fuel activity separately from truck-engine fuel activity.
For refrigerated transport operators, this provides better visibility into the diesel used to maintain the required temperature during transportation and deliveries.
2. Shared Diesel Tanks: The Monitoring Challenge
In many refrigerated vehicles, the refrigeration unit draws diesel from the same tank that supplies the truck’s engine.
This creates a significant challenge for fleet managers. A conventional fuel probe measures changes in the shared tank, but cannot independently determine how much diesel was consumed by the truck and how much was used by the refrigeration unit.
For example, when the fuel level drops during a delivery, the reduction may reflect engine operation, refrigeration operation or both.
Without additional measurement or a validated calculation method, it is difficult to allocate fuel consumption accurately between the two systems.
This can make it harder to investigate unexpected fuel losses, compare consumption across vehicles and understand the true cost of operating refrigeration equipment.
3. What Is the Difference Between Dedicated and Shared Tank Monitoring?
| Monitoring requirement | Dedicated tank | Shared tank |
| Monitor refrigeration fuel level | Yes, with a suitable probe | Monitors the combined tank level |
| Identify refuelling events | Independently for the refrigeration tank | For the shared tank |
| Separate truck and refrigeration consumption | More straightforward | Requires additional measurement or a validated calculation |
| Investigate unexpected fuel reductions | Yes, subject to operating conditions | Yes, but the source may be harder to identify |
The correct solution depends on the vehicle configuration, the required reporting and the available measurement technology.
4. How SmartMix Technologies Can Help
SmartMix Technologies offers a Transport Refrigeration Fuel Monitoring Solution designed to improve fuel visibility and accountability for refrigerated fleets.
Our approach begins by understanding how the refrigeration unit receives its diesel and what the fleet operator needs to monitor.
Depending on the configuration, the solution can help with:
- Fuel-level monitoring: Improve visibility into the available diesel in a dedicated refrigeration tank.
- Refuelling visibility: Record fuel-level increases to support fuel reconciliation.
- Fuel-loss investigation: Identify unusual fuel-level reductions that require further investigation.
- Improved reporting: Provide better information for fleet fuel-management decisions.
Where the truck and refrigeration unit share a tank, the monitoring approach must account for the combined fuel supply. Additional measurement or a validated calculation method may be needed to distinguish refrigeration consumption from engine consumption.
This ensures that the solution is designed around what can actually be measured.
5. Which Solution Is Right for Your Fleet?
Before installing a refrigeration fuel monitoring system, consider the following questions:
- Does the refrigeration unit have a separate diesel tank?
- Does it draw fuel from the truck’s main tank?
- Do you need fuel-level monitoring, consumption reporting or both?
- Do you need to investigate fuel losses or reconcile refuelling events?
- Must the solution integrate with your existing fleet-monitoring platform?
Answering these questions helps establish the most appropriate monitoring method and installation requirements for your vehicles.
Conclusion: Improve Refrigeration Fuel Accountability
Whether your refrigerated fleet uses dedicated or shared diesel tanks, understanding the fuel configuration is essential when selecting a monitoring solution.
Dedicated tanks generally allow refrigeration fuel levels to be monitored independently. Shared tanks require a more specialised approach if the objective is to distinguish refrigeration consumption from truck-engine consumption.
SmartMix Technologies can help you assess your fleet and identify the right approach to transport refrigeration fuel monitoring.
Contact SmartMix Technologies to discuss your requirements and arrange a consultation.
Visit our Transport Refrigeration Fuel Monitoring solution page to learn more.
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