Shell Fleet Solutions Q4 Trends Report, 2023
Winter months bring a renewed focus on fleet safety as fleets prepare for harsher driving conditions. The foundation of a secure fleet is the mindset that safety is a part of every element of operations. See how Shell Fleet Solutions drives a culture of safety, with safety built into the fleet products and services we provide.
Letter from the Editor:
Winter months bring a renewed focus on fleet safety as fleets prepare for harsher driving conditions. It’s also a good reminder that Shell Fleet Solutions drives a culture of safety. Everything we do is underpinned by our core values of honesty, integrity, respect and our commitment to safety.
Shell Fleet Solutions representatives who work with fleets every day hear from operators that safety is also a priority. It is critical that fleets do everything they can to prevent accidents, not only to protect their drivers and others on the road but to prevent additional expenses. For example, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) reported in 2019 that on-the-job crashes that result in an injury can cost upwards of $75,000.
Those considerations are a major reason why safety is built into the fleet products and services available to customers. Safety is in our telematics offering, helping fleet managers monitor dangerous driving habits and identify opportunities for training. It’s there in fleet cards, allowing fleet managers to set spending limits, monitor fuel expenditures and eliminate the need for drivers to carry money or personal credit cards. Safety is also a part of our on-site work when assessing fleets for mobile fueling or EV implementation.
Safety is foundational at Shell, and it is incumbent on all of us to keep health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) top of mind. Safety can’t just be a one-and-done activity. It must be continually reinforced to become a part of our daily routine. So, the foundation of a secure fleet is the mindset that safety is a part of every element of operations.
The goal is to help keep drivers from harm and get them home after their workday, especially during the festive season. Stay safe and happy holidays.
Sincerely,
Andrea Brecka
Vice President and General Manager, Fleet Solutions North America, Shell
Fleet Solutions Spotlight:
Safety is a throughline across Shell Fleet Solutions products and services with several noteworthy safety features. For instance, Shell Telematics helps with managing working hours, improving schedules, optimizing routes and monitoring driving behavior. It also provides vehicle maintenance alerts, helping to ensure fleet vehicles are maintained and ready for the road.
For Shell Recharge customers, technicians follow high safety and security standards on charging station installation days. Following that, dedicated teams are available to keep equipment running and answer day-to-day inquiries. Safety is also an element of Shell Fleet Cards which can be canceled at a moment’s notice should they be stolen or lost, with the ability to track exact fuel spend to help against fleet fraud.
For more information, please click here to find out how Shell Fleet Solutions can help enhance your fleet safety.
Sales Spotlight:
John Robinson, Key Account Manager
John Robinson recently celebrated 10 years with the Shell Fleet Solutions team. One doesn’t go a full decade in the fleet world without a high level of success and an ability to provide top-tier customer service. Based in Chicago, John’s service region covers eight states across the Midwest, working with large regional fleets, and well-known, nationwide brands.
Safety is a part of his routine, whether it’s following Shell’s comprehensive HSSE guidelines, or talking to fleet operators and drivers about ways to improve their overall safety.
“Very typically, we start every meeting with a customer talking about safety,” Robinson said. “It could be just talking about general safety, talking about their facilities, or the safety of their fleets. Getting involved in telematics in the last few years, we might be talking about how they can use some of those tools to improve or enforce driver behavior and at least have scorecards so they can coach people.”
It’s the relationship he has with his clients and the hands-on approach to working through fleet challenges that help grow a fleet’s overall efficiency, and that’s especially true when it comes to data. Many fleet operators don’t realize the information they have at their fingertips with fleet management software and the many ways to use it to improve outcomes.
“They've got all the reports and I think sometimes they do it just because they think it's a good idea, but they're not really sure how to manage that data,” Robinson said. “It's nice to have the resources that we have as Key Account Managers at Shell Fleet Solutions to bring in additional help and say, ‘Let us give you some best cases and best practices for how to manage and use that data.’”
Robinson appreciates the type of client that views Shell Fleet Solutions as a valuable resource, working as part of the same team and towards the same goals.
“Most of my clients are spending millions on fuel,” he said. “My position is they deserve somebody to support them – we give them the best support and the best implementation in the industry. We'll take extra time to make sure that everything runs smoothly for our customers.”
More News:
Bobit editors recently conducted a roundtable on commercial EV trucks. Discussed were evolving regulations, stricter emissions standards and funding opportunities. But perhaps the most impactful finding was slow EV adoption rates, with 79 percent of fleet owners hesitant to incorporate EVs into their fleets.
WorkTruck also noted another challenge to fleets as the transition to EVs ramps up, “The biggest obstacle to fleet electrification is the lack of charging infrastructure. Issues like broken chargers, long wait times at public charging stations, and software/connectivity problems are common concerns for fleet managers.”
Source: 10 Commercial EV Fleet Takeaways from Editor's Roundtable
While not surprising, it’s unfortunate to hear that fleets are still struggling with budgets. Automotive Fleet reports “…the convergence of higher acquisition costs, increased maintenance expenses, inflationary pressures on goods and services, and escalating interest rates have driven fleet costs up dramatically.”
In a follow up piece, Automotive Fleet highlighted the Top 15 trends in commercial fleets. In consideration of budget concerns, they wrote, “Top of mind for most fleet professionals are the ongoing sourcing constraints for replacement vehicles, the inflationary pressures on fleet total cost of ownership, the operating cost impact of managing older than normal fleet vehicles, and fleet electrification trends, in particular, the challenges of simultaneously operating an EV and ICE fleet.”
Source: Fleet Budgets Strain to Cope with Increasing Fleet Costs and Top 15 Fleet Trends Impacting Commercial Fleets
In a break from the buzz surrounding telematics, Business Fleet discusses how AI (artificial intelligence) is the new technology to be aware of for fleets. Business Fleet suggests that “AI frees up significant time for fleet managers to focus on more valuable “human” tasks such as team and customer engagement, strategic planning and more. At a maintenance level, with descriptive and predictive alerts, AI gives technicians superpowers, saving three-plus hours of diagnostic time per event.”
It may be challenging, at least temporarily, to speculate as to how AI will work in fleet applications, it seems as though the data available through AI helps to focus on needed changes to fleets, highlights predictive maintenance and gives a more holistic view of fleet management.
Your Shell Fleet Solutions
See below for the range of solutions Shell has to offer that support you to achieve your goals in an industry that’s constantly evolving.
Shell Fleet Cards
We offer a portfolio of universal and proprietary fuel cards that provide businesses with more convenience, control, savings, and security.
Shell Telematics
We strive to make Telematics as simple as possible, providing actionable insights and expert advice to help you find the right solution for your fleet.
Shell TapUp
We fuel direct to your vehicle, fleet of vehicles, tanks, and construction equipment. Shell TapUp handles the fueling so that your drivers can avoid driving the extra miles to the gas stations.
Shell Recharge
Shell Fleet Solutions offers a range of customizable solutions that encourage efficiency and sustainability.
Accelerate to Zero tackles fleet sustainability targets
Shell Fleet Solutions’ latest service helps take the guess work out of decarbonization