Fuel savings possible with Bell ADT

High fuel prices look set to become the norm. Bell explains how saving just a litre or two of fuel per hour can reduce the operating costs of an Articulated dump truck

With crude oil prices at a record high and prices expected to continue climbing, the impact on the operating costs of quarrying equipment is becoming ever more of a concern.

Last year oil prices reached US$65 per barrel and have continued to climb steadily over the last 12 months to over US$140. But industry experts have warned that further increases are expected and prices could peak at US$200 next year before dropping back to a steady US$130.

The rising cost of fuel, combined with higher new machine prices caused by similar hikes in steel prices, is a real concern, particularly against the backdrop of a construction slowdown. Many quarry owners have seen operating costs rise by up to 12% but the markets which they serve have only been able to sustain a 2 or 3% rise in aggregates prices.

According to 2983 Bell Equipment UK managing director Neville Paynter, fuel is the largest single cost of operating an articulated dump truck (ADT). "Now that users are paying more than double the amount they were for diesel just one year ago, fuel economy has become a crucial, overriding factor," he said. "Many ADT owners, for example those that purchase fleets for their own site operation, have typically always considered fuel costs. However, many plant hirers have traditionally not done so because the fuel costs have been picked up by the end user. These firms are now starting to ask questions about fuel consumption." But how much impact can fuel savings have on the bottom line of the quarry? The answer, according to Paynter, is quite a lot.

"When you consider that the average hourly utilisation per year for ADTs can be up to 2000 hours per year, the figures clearly highlight the importance of considering the hourly fuel burn rate," he explained "Then, when you begin to multiply these costs across a fleet, the numbers are truly staggering.

"For example, if a quarry operator with a fleet of six ADTs can save four litres per hour of fuel on each machine, he stands to save around £100,000 (€120,000) over the course of three years. Whether a client owns the equipment or hires the equipment in, the fuel cost needs to be considered because someone has to pay." Bell claims that its ADTs are the most fuel efficient on the market and has previously demonstrated this to customers through on site trials against other machines in the same weight-class. However, the company has now released these test results for the first time and has suggested that savings of up to £25,000 (€30,000) per machine per year may be possible from choosing the most fuel efficient option.

"There are many manufacturers right now who will promise a lot on paper, but it's only through actual testing of real machines, collecting real test data and operating under your unique site conditions than you will get the sort of reliable information that you can base important business decisions on," said Paynter.

While Bell has said that its ADTs have been specifically designed to produce the best fuel economy, Bell Equipment ADT product marketing manager Stephen Jones has also said that an operator's driving style could significantly impact on fuel costs. "In this regard, Bell ADTs display the current fuel burn figures in the cab so that an operator is able to adjust his driving style accordingly," he explained. "The fuel saver software adjusts the shift cycle programme in the transmission based on how much payload the machine is carrying."