Investing in Touchstar to Support Operational Growth
KILMARNOCK, UK – Andrew Gray & Co (Fuels) Ltd, a premier supplier of heating oil and coal across Ayrshire and the West of Scotland, continues to drive operational excellence following its strategic transition to Touchstar’s ‘FuelStar’ Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) solution.. The implementation of this high-performance digital environment has proven fundamental in supporting the company’s growth, ensuring they remain a leading name in the regional fuel sector.
With over 80 years of excellence, Andrew Gray & Co (Fuels) Ltd is a well-established name in the regional fuel sector. The business combines the strength of being part of independent, family-run fuel company James D. Bilsland Ltd with a strong local identity built around the Andrew Gray name.
Operating from its Kilmarnock base, the company recognised that to maintain its high standards of service, it was essential to evolve its tanker-based operations. The decision to transition to a digital environment was driven by a clear understanding of the benefits fuel logistics digitisation would bring to the business, supporting a more agile and customer-focused operation.
Andrew Gray & Co identified a critical requirement to move beyond established paper-based methods to a system that offered greater agility. A primary objective was to bolster their commitment to service excellence, which includes offering flexible ordering options online and by phone, short lead times, and clear communication around delivery dates.
The investment was further driven by the need to accelerate cashflow, improve administrative efficiency, and strengthen ADR regulatory compliance through enhanced visibility of its bulk fuel handling processes.
Central to the project is the deployment of Touchstar’s FuelStar mobile application, leveraging our proven integration capability with the industry leading Fuelsoft ERP platform. This established connectivity ensures a robust, bidirectional data flow between the field and the office. Orders raised in the ERP pass automatically into Fuelstar and are dispatched in real time to drivers’ tablets, ensuring absolute data consistency.
In line with rigorous industry safety requirements, drivers are equipped with Touchstar’s in house manufactured ATEX-certified TS3300 in cab devices, purpose-built for potentially explosive environments. The in-cab devices deliver clear, digital job details to drivers while capturing proof of delivery via on-screen signatures—or, where signatures aren’t possible, precise GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) as a robust verification alternative.
A central objective of the project was to automate and strengthen ADR compliance reporting. The Fuelstar system includes built-in compliance modules that guide drivers through essential safety checks and ensure the business has immediate access to the documentation required for industry audits. By digitising these workflows, Andrew Gray & Co eliminates the risk of missing or incomplete paper logs, ensuring every tanker remains fully compliant with the relevant regulations.
The digital transition also utilises virtual boundaries to trigger proactive pre-arrival notifications. This geofencing functionality supports the company’s focus on clear communication by ensuring customer sites are ready for delivery, reducing driver wait times and streamlining access. By automating these alerts based on real-time location data, Andrew Gray & Co can maintain short lead times and provide customers with precise updates on their delivery status.
The fuel logistics digitisation project has delivered measurable improvements to operational agility. By capturing digital assets such as photos and precise GPS coordinates, Andrew Gray & Co maintains a transparent, traceable, and professional record of every delivery.
The accounts team can now raise invoices as soon as a delivery is completed, significantly improving the cashflow cycle. Furthermore, digital logs provide a definitive audit trail, protecting the business against delivery disputes. By adopting these ePOD systems for fuel delivery, Andrew Gray & Co has ensured its fuel delivery operations are supported by the same level of technical sophistication and safety found in larger national fleets.
Get in touch for a no-obligation chat about your fleet challenges, and we’ll use our market-leading expertise to show you how our advanced ePOD systems can boost efficiency, automate compliance and accelerate your cashflow.