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Smart route to saving fuel

Shell FuelSave Partner helps customers and transport service providers cut commercial fleet operating costs. Savings of up to 10% can be achieved.

When some companies are spending millions of pounds a year on fuel, even a modest increase in fuel efficiency can have a significant financial impact.

Peter Adams, Engine & Vehicle Technology Scientist.

With fuel accounting for a significant portion of road freight costs, it’s more important than ever for commercial fleet operators to find ways to be more fuel efficient. The Shell FuelSave Partner fuel management solution helps customers and transport service providers to do just that.

Shell FuelSave Partner was introduced in 2010 as part of continuing efforts to develop products and services that help customers, consumers and industry partners become more energy or fuel efficient.

Fuel can account for up to 30% of the operational costs of commercial road freight transport. For logistics service providers contracted to deliver Shell products, and fleets operated by and for our customers, managing fuel consumption more effectively is one of the biggest opportunities to reduce costs.

“When some companies are spending millions of pounds a year on fuel, even a modest increase in fuel efficiency can have a significant financial impact,” says Peter Adams, an Engine & Vehicle Technology Scientist with Shell Global Solutions.

Reducing fuel consumption

Early users of Shell FuelSave Partner have reported reductions in fuel consumption of up to 10%. It works by analysing fuel purchasing transactions and data from a box of smart electronics that taps into various vehicle and engine management systems on commercial vehicles.

The system is easily installed in most trucks less than 10 years old and there is no start-up cost or investment required as the unit is supplied by Shell on a monthly subscription basis.

The onboard unit captures data across more than 20 different driver and vehicle performance parameters and uses this information to generate clear, user-friendly reports that highlight the impact of different factors on fuel consumption, including driver behaviour.

“Driver behaviour has the biggest single impact on fuel economy,” says Adams, who led the development of Shell FuelSave Partner. “The difference in fuel consumption performance between the best and worst of drivers can be as much as 30% on the same vehicle and route.

“Shell FuelSave Partner gives fleet managers a complete and transparent overview of fuel use through detailed analysis of driving styles, including incidents of speeding, harsh braking or acceleration, time spent idling or coasting, use of cruise control and how long the engine was kept at the optimum speed,” says Adams.

Users have access to their data via a web portal, through which they can view simple high level reports or more detailed drill-down analysis across a particular driver, route, depot or fleet, and over various time periods.

“Fuel savings achieved vary from operator to operator and are dependent on the types of vehicle and nature of logistics operations, as well as the level of training given to drivers,” says Adams. “We use a benefits calculator to give an indication of potential reduction in fuel consumption that can be achieved, which can be up to 10%, and even higher with some individual drivers.”