Turning UCO Collection into a Data-Driven Business
- Eric Wise
- 27 minutes ago
- 5 min read
How Otodata is simplifying monitoring for used cooking oil collectors.
Most readers of Biobased Diesel® have heard plenty about the rise of used cooking oil (UCO) as a critical feedstock for renewable diesel and biodiesel. You’ve heard about tightening supply chains, rising demand and the growing importance of verifiable, well-documented material.
What you may not have heard much about is Otodata—a company that has spent more than a decade modernizing liquid-tank monitoring in other sectors and is now bringing that expertise to UCO collection. What makes Otodata noteworthy for this industry isn’t simply its hardware or software, though both are mature and field-tested. It’s something much simpler: they’ve made UCO-tank monitoring easy.
At a time when collectors are managing tight labor markets, rising operating costs and increasing demands for transparency, Otodata’s model aims to remove every barrier to adopting tank telemetry. And in an industry where not every innovation is truly plug-and-play, the difference is noticeable.
Why UCO Collection Is Ready for Telemetry
The UCO market has become more sophisticated in recent years. As more renewable diesel and biodiesel producers rely on waste-based feedstocks, collectors are facing new expectations around consistency, documentation, service quality and supply predictability.
Yet despite these pressures, most UCO collectors still rely on manual checks or fixed routing cycles—practices that can lead to inefficiencies such as:
Unnecessary stops at low-volume locations.
Inefficient routing and dispatching.
Labor spent checking tanks that don’t need service.
Occasional customer concerns around cleanliness or overflows.
Tank monitoring brings a simple solution: visibility. If you know how full every tank is, you can build smarter routes, deploy trucks and drivers more efficiently, and eliminate surprises that cause stress for both collectors and restaurant partners.
Otodata’s Core Advantage: Making Telemetry Accessible to Everyone
Many companies sell tank monitors. Some provide monitoring portals and application programming interfaces (APIs). Only one has combined affordable devices, installation services and a financing model that eliminates upfront capital requirements. Put simply, Otodata has figured out how to remove the friction.
HaaS: No Capital Upfront
Otodata’s Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) program removes a longstanding barrier: cost. Instead of purchasing hardware outright, collectors can lease monitors at a low monthly rate, which includes hardware, connectivity, access to the monitoring portal, API integration, a customized app and ongoing support.
This eliminates large upfront capital projects and converts telemetry into a simple operational expense. For many collectors—especially independents—this shifts telemetry from “a someday investment” to “a decision we can make today.”
Installation Services: ‘Give Us the List, We’ll Do the Rest’
Most collectors agree that telemetry is valuable—but they don’t have spare technicians or installers waiting around to install monitors. Otodata recognized that this labor bottleneck is often the single-biggest reason collectors delay or abandon telemetry projects.
In response, the company now provides full installation services for UCO monitors. Collectors don’t need to schedule internal crews, coordinate equipment or manage field logistics. They simply provide Otodata with a list of sites and Otodata handles the deployment—including communication testing, tank integration and system activation. For collectors operating lean, this alone is a significant differentiator.
Together, installation services in addition to HaaS means collectors can begin receiving real tank data without spending capital or adding work to their internal team. Many early adopters see a return on investment (ROI) in a matter of weeks or months.
Dynamic Routing Cuts Costs Naturally
Once Otodata’s monitors are installed, collectors can adapt their routing strategy. Instead of running fixed schedules or stopping by accounts “just to check,” fleets can transition to data-driven dispatching. Trucks only visit tanks that are actually ready for service. Low-volume customers are automatically deprioritized. High-volume locations are serviced optimally, and route density improves naturally over time. This isn’t a theoretical benefit either. Collectors who switch to telemetry often see:
Fewer miles driven per gallon collected.
Lower fuel and labor expenses.
Increased collection efficiency.
Less wear on trucks and equipment.
Some collectors also use the data to create seasonally adjusted routes or to rebalance geographic territories.
Better Experience for Restaurant Partners
Many collectors see Otodata’s system as more than an operational tool—it’s also a customer-service enhancer. Otodata offers a white-labeled mobile app that collectors can brand with their own logo and colors. Restaurants can check tank levels, view tank activity over the past 90 days, and even request pick-ups or call customer support. For large chains or franchise groups, this transparency reduces inbound service calls and builds confidence that the collector is monitoring their locations proactively.
Tank monitoring helps UCO collectors deliver service that feels modern, responsive and data-backed—qualities increasingly valued by national accounts. With monitors in place, kitchens experience stronger trust in the collector’s professionalism.
Theft Detection: Still Important but Not the Whole Story
Theft is undeniably part of the UCO landscape, and telemetry plays a useful role in identifying sudden, unexplained tank drawdowns. While most collectors view theft identification as an added benefit compared to the primary value of collection efficiency, Otodata’s system can send alerts for rapid drops in tank level as well as GPS location of the monitor itself. The monitors also give an objective view into how much UCO was stolen and when.
This data provides collectors with better awareness and better records of where theft may be occurring and in what pattern. Often the ability to detect a pattern of theft is the first step towards preventing it in the future.
Integration, Data Flexibility
Many UCO collectors already use specialized routing, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or rendering-management software. Otodata doesn’t replace these systems. It enhances them. Its monitoring portal includes an API for automatic data ingestion and integration with commonly used industry platforms. The API is simple and scalable for deployment on fleets of any size. Flexibility is central to Otodata’s approach: The technology adapts to the collector’s workflow, not the other way around.
Why It Matters for the Broader Biobased Diesel Value Chain
While tank monitors sit at the very beginning of the supply chain, they support outcomes that matter downstream. They allow for more consistent UCO-volume deliveries, which leads to smoother supply chains. For feedstock buyers trying to manage risk and maintain high-quality sourcing, telemetry enabled collectors may become preferred partners.
Simpler Path to Modernizing UCO Collection
The promise of tank monitoring has been talked about in the UCO world for years. What’s been missing is a practical, low-friction way for collectors to adopt it at scale. Otodata has stepped directly into that gap. Its combination of no upfront capital and installation services makes monitoring as simple as giving the go ahead. It has made telemetry accessible to collectors of every size on every tank.
For many collectors, the question is no longer whether data can improve their business. It’s whether they can afford to continue operating without it. With barriers removed and ROI measured in weeks or months, the path toward a more efficient, predictable and customer-friendly UCO operation has never been clearer.
Author: Eric Wise
Vice President of Commercial Solutions
Otodata Inc.
412-779-9998
