C4T Group manages truck stop in Calais via XPetro

The C4T Group , headquartered in Madrid, acquired its first truck stop in France earlier this year; just outside of Calais in the Transmarck Industrial Zone. After evaluating various options on the market C4T chose XPetro, the back-office cloud solution provided by ICASA, for the operational and financial management of the truck stop, which incorporates a fuel facility, parking for over 300 heavy goods vehicles, a restaurant and various service and leisure facilities for drivers.

Stuart Madden, COO of the C4T Group, and the one responsible for the implementation of XPetro at the truck stop explains the development of the process.

Secure parking facility in Calais
‘Our truck stop in Calais is more than a refueling stop for trucks’, Stuart emphasizes. ‘With our truck stop we offer international drivers a secure parking facility with all the services they expect when they are away from home. Not only is a driver able to refuel, he can also park his truck in a secure fenced environment patrolled by security personnel 24/7 and constantly under CCTV surveillance, which means the driver is able to get a good nights’ sleep without worrying about his own personal safety or the safety of his truck and cargo. Moreover, the restaurant, shower facilities, internet access and other service facilities ensure that we can offer the driver a total package. The acquisition of the truck stop in Calais is the beginning of an ambitious expansion plan that we see C4T expanding its presence throughout Europe in the years ahead; through partnerships with other truck stops, further acquisitions and new to industry developments.’

Long term partnership
‘To be able to control all of this, we went looking for a partner who could effectively meet our initial needs but who would also be able to accompany and support us in the long run. That is exactly what we found in ICASA Group, a Belgian software supplier who has been active in the energy sector for more than 30 years. The ICASA Group has perfectly meet our needs and wants with professionalism and a good dose of patience’, Stuart explains. ‘With XPetro Stations and XBook Accounting, their back- and head office cloud solutions, they offered us a solution that enables us to manage everything from a to z. We can control our trucks stop with its various activities, third party fuel card transactions and our bookkeeping all from one central management system.

Extended reporting functionality
Moreover, XPetro is a very powerful tool to control and analyze the performance and the profitability of the trucks stop thanks to its extended reporting functionality. By measuring more accurately and by dealing with data in a more intuitive way, we are able to change gears quicker and more efficiently to address daily changes in our business environment. In doing so, we maximize margins and minimize costs , which is extremely important in a strong competitive market where margins are under more and more pressure.’

ICASA strengthens its position in France
‘ICASA strengthens its position on the French market because of this implementation’, Steve Vandermeeren, Operations Manager Energy of ICASA Group, adds. ‘In August, we went live with the station and shop department after a smooth and short implementation period, including the financial settlement. The implementation required customization of the system to meet the needs of the French regulatory environment and to ensure full compliance with French VAT rules and regulations. Now that we have this up and running, our next step is to integrate the restaurant and manage it through XPetro. We look forward to continuing to work with C4T in the future as they continue to expand their international business portfolio and service offering within the European Commercial road Transport sector.’