The trucking industry is core to the strength of the U.S. economy. At some point nearly every good consumed in the nation is put on a truck. In fact, according to American Trucking Associations, the trucking industry hauled 72.5% of all freight transported in the U.S. in 2019, equating to 11.84 billion tons.
Most recently, as the pandemic caused disruption and unprecedented challenges nationwide, the role and impact of trucking became even more important. Truck drivers were, and continue to be, among the front-line responders, delivering medical supplies and equipment to hospitals. Their dedication also ensured store shelves across the country remained stocked with essential goods for consumers who were hunkered down at home.
For fleet operators and logistics managers who work behind the scenes, keeping trucks on the road and the economy moving can understandably be stressful. From recruiting and retaining drivers and juggling operational hiccups, to keeping track of assets and controlling costs, logistics management face countless challenges
That’s why ExxonMobil conducted a marketing study in February 2021 to inform a new commercial fuel program aimed at easing some of these burdens.
What makes the best fleet program?
ExxonMobil interviewed fuel supply decision makers in 218 fleets to understand what aspects of a commercial fuel program matter most. The goal of the study was to understand the top fleet management concerns and then design a new fleet program around those top concerns. The interviews revealed that the most compelling and sought-after program features included a single universal card with a large discount network, driver rewards and a fuel discount or consolidated invoicing.
Top of mind for decision makers was to ensure logistics and routes remained efficient, so that meant drivers must be able to get fuel when they needed fuel instead of planning their routes around a fuel supplier’s locations. “Each driver gets a fleet card because we don't want any situation to occur that's going to cause our drivers to be late. Time costs money so we don't like our drivers to be late.” (Brian, 101-500 Vehicles)
A second theme for purchasing controls also became evidently important. Decision makers consistently advocated desire to centralize and consolidate purchasing into one system to manage and monitor—specifically they wanted to set purchase restrictions down to the driver and vehicle level to manage against inappropriate or suspicious purchasing. “We put it all on one card so that we can track usage and have inventory control so that a driver can't buy 200 gallons here and 200 gallons right down the street someplace. We can do a better job of controlling that.” (Tony, 500+ Vehicles)
ExxonMobil has set out to deliver a solution that would make fleet managers’ lives easier—ExxonMobil FleetPro.
The FleetPro program
FleetPro program elements:
- Universal Mastercard acceptance
- 12,000+ retail gas and 700+ commercial truck fueling Exxon and Mobil locations
- ExxonMobil Rewards+ driver loyalty program
- Consolidated invoicing and reporting
- Synergy Diesel Efficient quantified fuel benefits—Synergy Diesel Efficient is engineered to keep engines cleaner, and delivers a 2% better fuel economy*
- Commercial grade pricing for qualified accounts
Also notable is that FleetPro enables fleet administrators to control costs—each card can be set for categories of purchases that they allow or disallow, including turning off the Mastercard purchasing ability if they wanted. Keeping all purchasing on one card also means fewer reports to review, fewer systems to manage for tax reporting, and fewer opportunities for fraud.
Programs such as FleetPro help decrease operational costs, provide added benefits to drivers, and give fleet owners and managers better visibility into their operations—a trifecta of advantages that help overcome many of the challenges logistics management face today as the as the trucking industry continues to provide a critical service to the nation.
ExxonMobil FleetPro is available at participating locations. To learn more, visit Exxon.com and GoFleetPro.com
*Claims apply to Exxon and Mobil Synergy Diesel Efficient-branded fuel compared to diesel fuel without detergent additive. Actual benefits will vary depending on factors such as vehicle/engine type, driving style and diesel fuel previously used.
