Even if you have ATG's for your UST's, you should consider adding SIR as a backup.
Here's why...
UST and AST tank gauges ARE MECHANICAL AND can fail, but STATISTICAL INVENTORY RECONCILIATION (Sir) is 100% effective.
Our SIR Solutions Provide:
- A critical layer of redundancy for leak detection in case your tank gauges fail for any reason.
- Backup source for government compliance in the event your ATG's are not working.
- Identification of fuel variance issues including delivery shortages, meter drift, theft & tank chart errors
- Federal and regional regulatory leak detection reporting
- Inventory control information and calculation
- Resolution steps from SIR analysis
- Drill down exception reporting on problem tanks
- FTP data transmission
- Responsive customer support
NO EQUIPMENT TO BUY, NO OPERATIONAL DOWNTIME,
NO INSTALLATION COST. OUR LOW PRICE WILL SHOCK YOU!
CALL (913) 933-2307 TODAY, OR EMAIL US USING THE FORM.
SIR and ATG’s Should Live Together Forever - A Match Made in Heaven
By Reggie Roberson - CEO Tank Management Services, Inc
We all know about, became experts in, and love our automatic tank gauges (ATG's). Heck, I do too. I sold hundreds of them in my 40-year career in petroleum equipment sales, service, and installation. But we left a technology behind that is still the backbone to a successful fuel management program…yes SIR!
In the last 40 years, we have made a mad dash to get out of the cold, rain, sleet, snow, and hail by upgrading from the outdated process of tank sticking to automatic tank gauges (ATG's). Heck, we are not a postman or postwoman! However, we overlooked some important things while believing that our ATGs were fully protecting us. All Tommy Boy movie fans know about taking the butcher's word for it, but sometimes the butcher is off his game. What does that mean? Well, the best electronic line leak detectors available on the market are only 99% accurate because sometimes your ATG goes down. During the pandemic, there were stories circulating in the industry about taking over a year to get replacement parts. Does that mean the business at hand was out of compliance for a year? YES!! In most states that is a serious issue, and for the property owner, it's potentially catastrophic. It's like leaving your garage door open for a year.
I made the same mistake in my last job position! I admit that I was personally not focused enough on the fact that my customers were out of compliance for short or prolonged periods of time. I guess I figured that if the regulators weren't breathing down our necks, then it wasn't necessarily a problem. We were all doing the best that we could, right? My techs went to the site, we ordered parts if we didn’t have them in stock, and they would arrive when they arrived. When the pandemic hit, we were all in crisis mode. Before the pandemic though, the process was all too routine. Even then, did many of us actually worry that the store was out of compliance? Again, if no regulation personnel found out, then no apparent problem. But Well, too many of us have lost touch as to what ATG's were originally designed to accomplish, which was to keep us compliant and alert us to leaks. How could we forget this? But when the ATG fails, now what happens? I never had a facility owner call me and say they couldn't sleep at night because their ATG was down…and now I wonder why?
In May 2023, I was hired to work as CEO for a company called Tank Management Services, Inc. (TMS) They have been offering statistical inventory reconciliation (SIR) for over 25 years as well as many other helpful services for UST and AST tank operators. During my time with the company thus far, I'm completely amazed! You may have thought that SIR was only a service that our grandfathers utilized. Well, it turns out the answer is NO. A lot of people have heard of it. Before I signed with the company, I asked myself how long I thought SIR would be viable because of the industry's monumental shift towards utilizing ATGs. However, as I learn more about statistical inventory reconciliation (SIR), I have two thoughts:
- SIR is really inexpensive. It’s almost dirt cheap when compared to the other operating expenditures.
- Everyone with a UST should be doing this as their primary mode of leak detection OR as a backup to their ATG's. Because SIR is so inexpensive, why would someone even chance the possibility of being out of compliance if their ATG's fail?
I understand though, it may seem like a waste to invest in SIR just to backup your ATG's. If so, I'd like to challenge that thought! Is being in compliance truly important to you? More importantly, do you really want to risk losing expensive fuel into a clean environment? We've all read those news articles published when 20,000+ gallons of fuel leaks into a neighborhood or local waterway. Not only is the cleanup expensive, but it typically shuts down your business, either temporarily or possibly even permanently.
My recommendation is to keep your ATG's active because they are extremely beneficial. But at the same time, do not operate your business in 2024 without using SIR as a backup tool for leak detection. With your fuel margins currently in the green, adding SIR would be like adding an inexpensive insurance policy that makes great financial sense. The critics will tell you that SIR reconciliation takes weeks to uncover a leak. However, this statement is not true if you perform the SIR process correctly. Typically, when you send your results to TMS, you'll get your report back within 2-5 business days. With SIR, you have the ability to know every morning if you have a leak if you do the process correctly. Most tank gauges and alarms are not looked at every day; so it could be days, weeks, or even months at a time before a leak is detected without SIR.
The conversation within the petroleum industry should not be an argument regarding SIR vs ATG's. Instead, the discussion should be about SIR taking your ATG's out to dinner, falling in love at first sight, and then spending the rest of their useful lives together.
Call Tank Management Services at (913) 933-2307 or email us for more information about our SIR program.
BONUS FOR NEW CUSTOMERS: Mention this article to get 13 months of SIR for the price of 12 months. Offer expires 5/31/24.
