Finning Fuel Promise Gives Cat Customers A Clearer View On Running Costs

Finning UK and Ireland is giving customers a fuel consumption guarantee on selected new Cat machines, helping contractors and fleet operators manage one of the biggest variables in heavy equipment ownership.

With diesel prices continuing to put pressure on project margins, fuel use is no longer something that can be treated as a background cost. For many businesses running construction equipment, earthmoving machinery, quarry machines, demolition fleets and plant hire equipment, diesel can account for up to 30% of total machine running costs.

That makes predictability increasingly important. Whether a machine is loading aggregate in a quarry, shifting material on an infrastructure scheme, working on a demolition site or operating daily in a plant hire fleet, even small differences in fuel burn can have a major impact across a full year of operation.

Finning’s Fuel Promise has been designed to give customers more certainty. The programme provides a model-specific fuel consumption benchmark for new Cat machines purchased with a Customer Value Agreement, known as a CVA. If the machine uses more fuel than the agreed benchmark over three years or 6,000 hours, Finning reimburses the customer with credits that can be used against Finning parts and service.

The scheme was first introduced on a limited basis in 2015, before being expanded significantly in 2024. Since then, rising fuel costs and tighter operating margins have made the programme more relevant for customers across construction, quarrying, aggregates, infrastructure and heavy equipment sectors.

What gives the Fuel Promise weight is the data behind it. Each eligible machine is connected through Cat Product Link, allowing live machine information to be gathered remotely through telemetry. Fuel consumption is then tracked against the relevant benchmark every quarter.

Customers can monitor performance through VisionLink, where they can view the expected fuel benchmark, actual fuel consumption, idle time and any credit that has been earned. VisionLink can also be used to set engine idle alerts and fuel loss notifications, giving operators and fleet managers more insight into where fuel waste may be occurring.

For businesses running multiple machines, that kind of visibility can be extremely valuable. Idle time, unnecessary fuel burn and poor machine utilisation can quickly erode profit. By giving fleet operators access to live fuel and productivity information, Finning is helping customers make better decisions before costs get out of control.

“Fuel has always been one of the biggest costs facing customers across the industries we serve. But right now, the situation is even more volatile,” explains Tim Ballard, General Manager: Digital, Technology & Marketing at Finning UK and Ireland.

“That combination puts real strain on margins and makes forward planning genuinely difficult. The Fuel Promise gives operators something concrete. It’s a guarantee they can take to their budget holders, backed by real data from the machine itself. If the machine uses more fuel than the benchmark, we reimburse them. That’s a commitment we can stand behind because we trust the engineering in Cat machines, and we trust the data.”

The programme is particularly relevant for high-utilisation machines, where hours build quickly and fuel consumption has a direct effect on total cost of ownership. In quarrying, aggregates, muck shifting and major infrastructure work, machines are often operating for long shifts in demanding conditions. Over time, small differences in litres per hour can become significant sums of money.

Modern Cat machines already use a range of systems designed to improve efficiency, including engine management, load-sensing hydraulics, auto idle, auto shutdown and selectable Eco Mode on relevant models. Finning’s Fuel Promise takes that efficiency claim a step further by turning it into a measurable commitment.

For contractors, that matters when estimating job costs. Knowing that a machine has a defined fuel benchmark can support more accurate tendering, better budgeting and improved fleet planning. For plant hire companies, it can also provide a useful point of confidence when investing in new machinery or advising customers on machine choice.

The data also has value beyond fuel cost alone. As more projects place emphasis on emissions reporting and sustainability targets, verified fuel consumption records are becoming increasingly useful. Through VisionLink, customers can monitor runtime, fuel use and idle time, with configurable metrics for fuel burn, CO₂ emissions and cost.

That gives operators a clearer picture of how machines are performing and where improvements can be made. Reducing unnecessary idle time, improving utilisation and matching the right machine to the right job can all help lower emissions while also supporting productivity and profitability.

The Fuel Promise is available now on selected Cat machines purchased with a Customer Value Agreement. Customers interested in eligibility, machine benchmarks and how the programme could apply to their fleet can speak to their Finning account manager or visit Finning’s website for more information.

For customers looking at the real cost of machine ownership, fuel consumption is one of the biggest numbers on the page. Finning’s Fuel Promise gives Cat operators a way to measure it, manage it and, where necessary, be reimbursed if the machine exceeds its agreed benchmark.

In an industry where margins are tight and operating costs are under constant scrutiny, that kind of certainty could prove valuable for contractors, quarry operators, infrastructure fleets and plant hire businesses alike.