Electricity is a fuel unlike any other, and successful fleets are generally those that become masters of using the EV fleet management tools that are available to them. Technologies like electric vehicle chargers and EV telematics are new and come with hurdles but are required to manage electricity. Integrated EV charger and EV telematics implementation requires technical, personnel, and sometimes even legal considerations for each solution. By stacking them together, understanding the benefits and limitations of each, and avoiding the promise of “silver bullet” fixes, organizations can manage their fleet cost, schedule, and operational requirements while electrifying.
Charger Integration and Changes to Internal Billing
Charger integration is the biggest concern for fleets deploying EVs at scale due to the complexity of electricity costs- which can vary by location, time, and peak usage.
Fleets manage and organize this complexity by integrating their FIMS with the charging network providers to capture, segment, and analyze usage and cost data. Because EV charging data goes to the same databases that store other fuel data (ex: FuelTicketMain), fleets can treat electricity with the same care and consideration and use the same reports and processes as liquid fuels. Charger integration also retrieves data from public charging stations to add internal surcharges and other features routinely used for liquid fuels.
Changes in Telematics
Fleet electrification expands the need for vehicle telematics as it is often the only way or the only practical way to access a range of meter and diagnostic data. Specifically, telematics data is the best and most preferred choice for battery state of charge, battery diagnostics, and vehicle tracking.
All fleets planning to purchase EVs should check with their telematics providers to understand their level of support for the new technology. If fleets integrate with a Fleet Information Management System (FIMS) such as FleetFocus, it is also crucial to check that their FIMS has expanded its integration to include EV data. AssetWorks, for example, has begun and completed their process with many providers but not all support EV data yet.
Changes to Fuel Island Controllers
Electrical control units (ECU) are a successor to Fuel Island Controllers. ECU provides the same control for EV chargers as fuel pumps, can accept manual meter updates with its keypad, and use two readers. Thus for some fleets, it’s a viable alternative to charger integration and telematics, but ECU isn’t appropriate for all kinds of projects (ex: sites with just a handful of chargers).
Overcoming Power Struggles
The first step to fleet electrification is determining objectives and a plan. Depending on the organization’s history, resources, and other constraints- one or more technology solutions and process changes may be required. When used correctly, EV charger integrations, telematics data, and ECUs make for a successful EV fleet by reducing the amount of staff planning and management resources required to conduct daily operations.
Since the onset of 2020, managers across all industries have faced unique and long-lasting challenges. The fuel management industry is no exception. With soaring fuel prices and the ongoing driver shortage, fuel distributors are facing new challenges from their client base.
Embrace change
Being able to embrace change is a top quality of an effective leader in any industry. Now more than ever before, the fuel industry is experiencing major change. With sustainability goals pushing electrification to the forefront of fleet strategy and rapidly advancing technology creating more data than ever before, today’s fuel distributors must embrace change to lead the way towards a new future of fleet.
Embracing change means more than setting a strategy. Effective leaders must be able to rally their teams, support change management processes, accept criticism, and adjust priorities as needed. Being a good fleet manager isn’t just about change—it’s about leading your team through change towards a brighter future.
Champion your organization’s vision
Members of a fuel distribution team will not blindly follow the manager. Each employee needs to understand the direction and vision of the department in order to see how they impact overall operations. A good leader will share their vision with their teams often and work to maintain visibility into the decisions that impact the organization in both the short- and long-term.
Learn from mistakes
How a leader handles failure directly impacts company performance. No leader will make the right calls 100% of the time, but it is when the leader handles mistakes or strategic missteps with humility and accountability that positive changes can be made. When faced with challenges, good fleet managers should take responsibility for the part they played, identify what should have been done differently, and make a plan to move forward. Be sure to communicate openly and honestly with the teams involved.
Ask why
In any industry, burnout is a real challenge. When leaders experience burnout, or career-related fatigue, it can be helpful to go back to basics. Why do you do the work that you do? Fuel distribution organizations are vital to communities. They keep vehicles and the people inside them safe. They keep our supply chain moving. If you begin to feel fatigue in your role as a leader, take a few moments to consider why your work matters.
At FuelDrive, we build software and hardware solutions. But why? If we stop to ask ourselves why we do the work that we do, our ultimate goals are easy to identify. Our ‘why’: we build software and hardware solutions that keep our customers and the people they serve safe, happy, and on-the-move.
7-Eleven is leading the charge in convenient store sustainability by committing to a goal of installing 500 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports throughout the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2022. The retailer currently maintains 22 charging stations within four states. Reaching this ambitious goal will position 7-Eleven as a leader in their segment, with one of the largest and most compatible fast-charging systems of any retailer in the U.S.
Direct Current Fast Charging ports allow for a quicker charge experience than level-2 chargers. This, paired with 7-Eleven’s convenient locations near major roads and highways, will provide great value for drivers looking to charge on the go.
FuelDrive is proud to partner with AssetWorks FuelFocusEV for integrated charging for fleet organizations of all sizes. To learn more about integrated EV charging for fleets,schedule a demo today.
Whether you are managing your fuel through a software system or a clipboard, it is necessary for fleets to regularly reevaluate their fuel management operations. Chances are, there are a few key areas for optimization as technology matures and evolves.
When looking into a new system, a fleet should keep an eye out for these top features:
Scalable System
The fleet business is ever-changing, which leads to fluctuations in vehicle count, type, and utilization. For a fuel system to work for a modern fleet organization, it needs to be scalable and adaptable to any fleet size and provide for unlimited users and vehicles.
The software should also be easy to access, with an intuitive and user-friendly design on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Security in the Cloud
For any fleet, security should be the highest priority. It’s more common to see news headlines covering data breaches or even hardware hacks. Hosting fuel data in the cloud provides one of the highest levels of security for hosted data, including important features like:
Unique user ID server access
Encoded usernames and passwords
User blockage after several failed login attempts
Communication cutoff mechanism after session timeout
Customizable Control
With powerful fuel management systems, there are several different options available for customizing and securing your fueling through Island Control Units (ICUs) and methods for beginning a transaction, like proximity card/fob, strip cards, keypad, or wireless automated fueling (WAF).
WAF has many benefits for fleets. With WAF, fleets install the hardware into either light or heavy-duty vehicles. It eliminated the ‘human error’ factor and provides accurate data coming from the vehicle’s ECM during the transaction. Data like odometer, engine hours, and trouble codes can be captured automatically with WAF, unlike manual fueling transactions.
Easy Upgrades
With a cloud-based solution, the system is remotely set-up and supported by the vendor. This means that the system can be automatically upgraded to the latest and greatest version, supporting new hardware and software features as they become available. This also means that automatic data backups ensure your fueling data is retrievable in the event of a system failure.
Innovative and Knowledgeable Team
Even the most feature-rich fuel management system is rendered ineffectual without an innovative and knowledgeable vendor. The fuel management software vendor should be consistently innovating their solution to provide the best possible solution to the customers, which could include new products or offerings, frequent training opportunities, and a willingness and openness to listen to customer ideas and challenges.
FuelDrive, powered by AssetWorks, offers these five features and more. With FuelDrive’s cloud-hosted solution, the remote setup is professionally managed and secured within the Microsoft Azure cloud. FuelDrive is scalable and adaptable to any size fleet and provides for unlimited users and vehicles within the system.
If you have ever attended the PEI (Petroleum Equipment Institute) trade show, you’ve likely seen a handful of the ‘latest and greatest’ fuel management systems. While new technology is exciting, the best fuel management systems for fleet organizations are often the tried-and-true systems that have evolved over time and have a demonstrated track record of success.
The FuelDrive fuel management system is backed by AssetWorks’ 40+ years of fleet and fuel management experience. The software is used by government agencies and private fleets across North America and the United Kingdom. FuelDrive offers robust technology that offers multiple platforms that can grow and evolve with a fleet as needed over time, providing the following benefits:
RFID vehicle hardware technology
Fully integrated EV charging technology
Passive GPS and driver behavior
Backwards capability with vehicle hardware
Real time data for up to the minute reporting
Accurate data for improving preventive maintenance programs
Ring technology that provides 100% fuel security and accountability
Environmentally safe fueling that ensures fuel shuts when the nozzle is removed from the vehicle or falls out by accident.
Our system also offers secured access to support car washes, security gates, doors and other areas that authorization for entry is required.
With FuelDrive’s feature rich fuel management system, fleet organizations can increase efficiency and reduce costs through data that helps fleets be proactive on vehicle maintenance and alerts with vehicle trouble codes. FuelDrive can also help fleets decrease loss and misallocation while guaranteeing fuel security.
FuelDrive’s integrated EV charging platform, FuelFocusEV, will also save fleets time, money, and resources by having all the information in one reporting system. FuelDrive also offers fully integrated tank monitoring that allows for accurate and timely reconciliation and accountability for all fuels and EV charging being used at each fueling location.
FuelDrive is a cloud hosted SasS (Software as a Service) model software which allows for access from any location and can be managed with a tablet, laptop or any internet connected personal computer. The system is hosted on the Microsoft Assure platform which offers the highest data security and uptime available. Fleets can rest assured knowing they will always be on the latest software version as updates to our software are included as part of the SasS offering. Another FuelDrive benefit includes a lifetime parts warranty for the ICU (Island Control Unit) for the life of the system.
The FuelDrive team has in-house support with quality trained professionals to answer customer questions and keep the system online and supported. And, with its powerful distributor network, FuelDrive can help provide on-site installation and service for locations across the country.
If you are in the market for a fuel management system, please consider leveraging the latest technology in fleet fuel management with FuelDrive by filling out the form to the right.
