Unattended retail or cardlock gas stations, often referred to as ghost stations, offer businesses the ability to sell retail or wholesale fuel in remote areas without on-site staffing requirements. These turnkey packages can be found dotted across Canada, from remote northern highways to work camps, and in small prairie towns to active forestry areas.

The value proposition for the owner is quite simple:

• Allow for 24 hour operation with no labour costs
• Ability to relocate a station, including decommission, transportation and recommission in days not months
• More control over fleet operations
• Reliable fuel availability in even the most remote regions
• Multi-compartment tanks allow for multiple types of fuel in a single tank
• Remote asset management
• Be more competitive – and profitable – in a highly competitive industry

Westeel is one of Canada’s ghost station pioneers. In fact, Westeel was awarded the Steel Tank Institute Shop Fabricated Atmospheric product of the year in 2011 for a series of 10, ULC S601 certified triple compartment integral contained fuel storage tanks. And the production of these tanks didn’t end there. Westeel has produced ghost stations for retail fuel suppliers, tank rental companies, private business and wholesale tank suppliers across Canada over the last decade.

The ghost station design, in many ways, is simply an extension of the hundreds of thousands of ULC certified tanks that have been built by Westeel over the past 60 years. The process is quite simple. Through the drawing and estimating process, the Westeel representative and client determine the tank design along with any features that they need for the specific application including:

• 1, 2 or 3 compartment tank suitable for storing up to 3 different types of fuel
• 1 or more single or dual skid mounted dispensers
• LED lights
• Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Debit transactions
• Wifi, wired internet line, cellular or satellite transaction connections with user training module
• Heated, stand-alone card reader shack or fully integrated tank end entry, both with glass door entry
• Catwalks with ladders (including security cover) or fold-up, restricted entry stairs
• Optional bollards and full tank protection piping
• Camera systems including optional:
  • Third party remote monitoring
  • Continuous camera monitoring and DVR storage including optional motion detection time stamping
  • Remote recording and real time video feed