Non HAZMAT Fuel and Service Trailer Introduces Efficiencies for Colorado Heavy Civil Contractor
July 2024
“Hard work carries the day.” That motto is at the heart of Naranjo Civil Constructors' business. What began as a two-person concrete startup in 1982 has grown into a large construction company focused on waterway restoration and reconstruction. Today, the company still offers concrete services and has three regional offices located in Greeley, Denver and Colorado Springs.
Adding to that, there is an ecological aspect to the work the company completes. It’s more than just excavation; it’s landscaping. Naranjo carefully completes every project so that it’s functional, but also sustainable.
“We’re in this line of business because of the passion that we have for working in drainage and waterways. Some of the more natural habitats are the pride of what we've built and what really carries us,” said Valley Hummel, superintendent at Naranjo. “Plus, it's a huge family. We've really got each other's backs and whatever support we need we get.”
That team-oriented focus helps keep the business on track. Between scheduling projects and deciding which crews to go to each job site, staying on deadline and monitoring equipment, every bit matters.
One thing they can never overlook is fueling Naranjo’s equipment fleet – and it’s been a challenge to make the process efficient.
“The amount of fuel that we were having to transport from a distributor in Denver, or up in Greeley, or from our shop has been challenging,” Hummel explained. “Just having to figure out where the most convenient location is to get fuel has been tough.”
Naranjo’s equipment dealer, 4Rivers Equipment, approached them with a solution to simplify onsite fueling: the No HAZMAT Fuel and Service Trailer — MTT 920 — from Thunder Creek Equipment.
"After our representative approached us with the concept of running those, we tried one out and thought it was a great idea, so we ended up buying a whole fleet of them,” said Hummel. “We appreciate having a partner that helps with the flow of everything and offers solutions. It really helps to streamline our operations in the day-to-day.”
Gaining efficiency
Prior to buying its four MTT 920 trailers, Naranjo relied on several pickup trucks carrying slip tanks with fuel from their shop in Greeley to the jobsite. This approach was time consuming, especially when Hummel and the crews were working in remote areas or on larger projects that had more equipment to be fueled. It sometimes took multiple trips to get fuel to keep equipment up and running for the duration of a project.
With the MTT 920 trailers, Naranjo now has 920 gallons of diesel fuel for each job site.
According to Hummel, the 920-gallon models work perfectly for Naranjo and were especially helpful on a recent and large project that required diverting a creek in two separate locations. This project required seven backup pumps that ran 24 hours a day, seven days a week for about two and a half months, plus four excavators, two haul trucks and three loaders.
“We were running through a lot of fuel in a short amount of time on that job,” he explained. “We paired two 920 trailers side-by-side and filled them twice a week. It worked out just perfectly.”
On smaller job sites, Naranjo sets up the MTT 920 trailer on a vehicle tracking pad (VTC) where it serves as a main fueling hub. From there, pickup trucks fitted with slip tanks can fill up and take fuel to the equipment farther in the site.
“I thought when we got the Thunder Creek trailers that we would eliminate the trucks with the slip tanks, and we’d bring the equipment to the trailer. That has not been the case,” Hummel explained. “The majority of our sites are in the boonies and along little narrow paths, so it works out a lot better for us to use a pickup to go fuel our loaders and our wheeled machines.”
This process has proven efficient for Naranjo. The company can fuel the Thunder Creek trailers once or twice a week, depending on the job and the amount of equipment, and keep equipment running more easily and more cost effectively.
“I think since adding Thunder Creek to our fleet of equipment, it's improved our work efficiency tremendously. It's equipment that goes along with us on job sites. I know where it is. I know that we've got fuel in it according to our fueling schedule,” said Hummel. “It's really cut down on the cost of having extra slip tanks and pickups and the risk of developing pinholes in those slip tanks.”
For remote job sites, Hummel says the trailers have been extremely helpful.
“If we can't get a full HAZMAT truck there to resupply conventional fuel tanks, we can just haul the trailer to a fueling station near the remote jobsite and it would keep us supplied for the duration of what we need,” he said.
Added MTT benefits
The MTT 920 has a common manifold that connects eight individual 115-gallon tanks to a commercial grade pumping system. This design allows any crew member with a safe driving record to tow them and does not require them to carry a HAZMAT endorsement or commercial driver’s license (CDL) --- a benefit that Hummel appreciates.
“It's a huge advantage that we don't have to have a CDL and HAZMAT carrier to move the trailers. It helps with the day-to-day flow on the jobsite because I don't have to have a specialized person on our crew do it,” Hummel explained.
When equipping their MTT 920 trailers, Naranjo opted for adding the fully enclosed 2-in-1 diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) delivery system. This system reduces the risk of contamination that could result in damage to Tier 4 machinery with SCR systems. For Naranjo, it’s also simplified DEF storage and streamlined DEF filling.
“We used to have 55-gallon DEF drums that we’d put in our Conex boxes. Those drums can slip, fall over and spill, and you're not supposed to have them in sunlight. This system is inside the cabinet, so it’s protected from the sun,” explained Hummel. “It's got a coil hose that runs right to the truck. It's extremely user-friendly.”
The enclosed design of the pumping system on the MTT 920 trailer is another feature that Hummel likes since it ensures cleanliness of the fuel.
“It keeps the dust from blowing in on the nozzle,” he explained. “We haven't had the issues we had with using just the slip tank, with nozzles floating around the back of a truck.”
“Our ownership team sets us up for success. Each superintendent has one of these fuel trailers so they can be independent and have the tools the crew needs to work efficiently,” said Hummel. “I would recommend one of these trailers to anybody. It helps us get the job done.”
“That and a lot of teamwork,” he added. “I feel like we're really team oriented. The work that we produce, we've all put our heart and soul into it.”
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