A simulation tool for truck loading at fuel filling plants

The various processes of truck loading at a fuel filling plant are interrelated which makes it complex to analyze and improve the performance of the filling plants. This paper describes these processes and presents a software tool developed in FlexSim for modelling the drivers' activities, analyzing different decision scenarios, and optimizing the filling processes at fuel terminals. The simulation model has been used to identify bottlenecks and evaluating opportunities for performance improvement. This paper reports the application of the model to a lubricant filling plant for analyzing and supporting decision making on the assignment of trucks to bays, and on the availability of the lubricants on the fuel arms at the lading bays.