With fuel being up to and in some cases over 30% of operating costs, for hauliers getting the most out of every litre bought is crucial. MT met with Shell at the Shell Eco-marathon recently to hear how they believe a holistic approach can make the difference.
Getting each litre of fuel to work harder and cleaner is obviously one way to increase productivity as is working with the OEMs to ensure that fuel and engines work together at their optimum. Both are areas in which Shell are investing in heavily.
However all that work fails if a major problem is not addressed, that of driver behaviour. Phil Williams, head of commercial fleet UK (pictured) told MT that their research has shown that 67% of operators believe improving their drivers’ fuel efficient motoring skills is the most effective way to reduce fuel consumption As part of its drive to give all operators the maximum benefit from its fuel technology Shell has introduced the Ultrasonic Fuel Sensor to its telematics device, Shell FuelSave Partner. The device improves the accuracy of the fuel consumption data assessed by Shell FuelSave Partner, enhancing its ability to detect fraudulent activity, estimate fuel costs for routes, and identify opportunities to help generate fuel savings by improving driver behaviour.
Shell FuelSave Partner provides a benchmark for each company so drivers are not given unrealistic targets. It encourages driver education, and also competition from a playing field that can be shown to the individual driver is fair. What in one operation would red flag on the system such as excessive idling- for other operations that may be simply that ancillary equipment is being used (PTO. HIAB etc) by benchmarking each operation individually these anomalies can be removed from the telematic results allowing the operator, in real time and a realistic working environment, to see where improvements and driver education is required.
Having the most efficient fuel and carefully planning routes can make a large difference to a companies bottom line, but a single driver with a heavy right foot or a penchant for topping up his private car on the companies expense can soon wipe out those efficiencies. Shell’s fuel management telematics system provides the operator with the information to identify any issues and goes a long way to mitigating those risks.
