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Case Study
Dole UK is a fruit and vegetable supplier with both wholesale and foodservice divisions located across the UK. They collect produce directly from growers, deliver to secondary wholesalers and shops, plus provide regular deliveries of fresh food to catering outlets including schools, hospitals and hotels. With over 350 vehicles in their fleet they rely on fuel cards to monitor and control fuel expenditure.
The Challenge
As existing fuel card users utilising a number of networks, Dole UK wanted to consolidate its existing suppliers to one company who could offer a national coverage as well as supplying bespoke granular information to be able to review their fleet’s total usage. Their current fuel card suppliers were not forthcoming with regular updates and information varied from each supplier; they made the decision to switch suppliers to Silvey Fleet.
Whilst most drivers for Dole UK understood how to purchase fuel via a fuel card, the team at Silvey Fleet needed to demonstrate their network had the complete coverage required. Dole UK’s wholesale and foodservice network spans the length and breadth of the UK, including remote depots in Scotland and Wales as well as Devon and Cornwall.
The Solution
To ensure accurate management information across the entire fleet, Silvey Fleet recommended adopting a multi fuel card approach. Dole UK’s fleet includes vans, as well as 7.5, 18 and 26 tonne trucks. One of their key requirements was the ability for drivers to continue to purchase AdBlue via their fuel cards.
To be able to assign the right fuel card network, Silvey Fleet initially reviewed the whole fleet’s driving patterns to select a network that matched each depot’s routes. At the start of the contract all the drivers received an overview of the network of stations they could use that corresponded with their regular route.
The Benefits
Rather than issuing fuel cards to each driver, cards were printed with the registration of a vehicle and kept within the cab. By adopting this approach, Silvey Fleet could generate an accurate monthly report for Dole UK detailing the entire fleet’s breakdown on fuel.
Each month Dole UK received a spreadsheet outlining how much fuel each vehicle had purchased. To help management reporting the information was segmented by branch and included a breakdown of what type of fuel had been purchased. Such granular information meant it was easy to spot if premium diesel had been purchased, so that drivers could be reminded to opt for regular diesel at a far lower cost.
What do you value most?
The transition to Silvey Fleet was phased in over several months, branch by branch. Since moving across to Silvey Fleet, Dole UK has been able to quantify significant savings on the one million litres of fuel that the fleet uses to maintain their business.
Alongside the monthly report, the fleet managers at their various depots also have access to online reporting which has helped them manage their own branch’s fuel usage. By constantly reviewing this information and working with the drivers, Dole UK has been able to consolidate their fuel expenditure through Silvey Fleet and drive down fuel costs.
Everything is easy with Silvey Fleet. Our drivers have more than enough choices of places to refuel, even in some of the remotest areas there are stations they can use.
Kevin Whiteman
Dole UK
