OTS featured in The Transport Operator
We’re pleased to share that The Transport Operator has featured OTS Group in an article on why HGV, PSV and LCV operators need to treat AdBlue as core depot infrastructure, not as a compliance consumable. The feature draws on OTS’s experience designing, manufacturing, installing and maintaining fuel and AdBlue storage for commercial fleets across the UK.
OTS: treating AdBlue as infrastructure
For Euro 6 diesel fleets, AdBlue forms part of the infrastructure that keeps vehicles on the road. Contaminated product, unreliable dispensing equipment, poor stock control or difficult maintenance access can disrupt a fleet as much as a fuel supply issue. The article explains that a suitable tank on site isn’t enough on its own. The wider system needs to work in practice, from where AdBlue is stored and how it’s dispensed to how deliveries are managed and how easily engineers can inspect and maintain the equipment. High-throughput depots feel this most, because a poorly planned system affects vehicle flow, workshop routines and replenishment planning. Multi-site operators face a different problem: inconsistency between depots makes reporting and maintenance harder to manage.
The BSSM approach to AdBlue storage
AdBlue is sensitive to contamination, incompatible with some materials and vulnerable to crystallisation when exposed to air. OTS uses the BSSM approach as a practical way to think about storage:
Bunded: double-skinned tanks with appropriate secondary containment.
Specific: tanks and equipment designed for AdBlue, with materials and manufacturing standards suited to urea storage, including ISO 22241, DIBT and BS EN ISO 9001:2008 where applicable.
Stable: storage between 0 and 30°C, with systems designed to manage colder conditions, as AdBlue freezes at around -11°C. Tanks also need positioning or protection to avoid overheating in direct sunlight.
Managed: inspection, monitoring, stock control and planned maintenance over the life of the system. SCR systems are vulnerable to contamination, so this protects vehicles, reduces avoidable repair costs and keeps fleets on the road.
Visibility and planned maintenance
Fleet operators already ask detailed questions about fuel: who dispensed it, which vehicle received it and how much was used. The article makes the case for applying the same thinking to AdBlue. Manual checks can miss usage patterns, stock issues or emerging faults, so tank monitoring, fuel management connectivity and structured reporting give operators a clear view of what’s happening across the depot. Better data also supports compliance and accountability, because clear records make it easier to investigate variance and plan supply before a shortage develops.
Planned maintenance matters just as much. Tanks, pipework, pumps, nozzles, gauges, alarms and ancillary equipment all need checking as part of a regular regime. Crystallisation around fittings, worn nozzles, leaks, inaccurate gauges and failed alarms can look minor at first and turn into operational problems if left unresolved. Routine inspection catches them early and builds a clearer service history, so fleet teams can make decisions based on evidence rather than assumption.
As the article concludes, the practical shift for modern fleet operators is to stop viewing AdBlue as a secondary consumable and start treating it as part of core depot infrastructure. That applies whether operators are adjusting fuel strategies, upgrading older depots or standardising infrastructure across multiple locations.
We’re proud to share our approach with the transport and fleet community. OTS designs, manufactures, installs and maintains fuel and AdBlue storage infrastructure, with tank manufacture, dispensing systems, fuel management technology, planned maintenance and environmental support all available from one team.