Between time spent just waiting to get to a fueling pump at a busy truck stop and the time spent to actually fuel a Class 8 rig, truck drivers can spend an hour or more of their work time waiting. TruckPark, the truck reservation platform, is teaming up with FuelMe to offer drivers a potential solution.
A joint venture between the two companies announced Tuesday will allow drivers using the TruckPark app to secure on-location fueling while they rest, potentially giving back drivers an hour or more of time back.
“Our partnership with FuelMe is a big win for the nearly 2 million truck drivers who already have access to the TruckPark app and now will benefit from the time-saving convenience of having fuel brought directly to them,” said TruckPark CEO Anthony Petitte. “This is a natural synergy for our two companies that are both dedicated to enhancing the truck driving experience for our customers. Truck drivers and fleets can opt in beginning today for fuel using both the TruckPark app and FuelMe app. This will eventually turn into a major application to provide these important services anywhere a driver is held up.”
FuelMe provides on-demand fuel delivery and roadside assistance. Based in Elmhurst, Illinois, FuelMe services are available nationwide. The company offers diesel fuel, gasoline, aviation fuel, lubricants and diesel exhaust fluid products. Its cloud-based platform utilizes GPS live order tracking so users can manage their orders in real time while providing delivery, fuel data and accounting management.
According to TruckPark, a national study found that truck drivers wait an average of 62 minutes fueling at major truck stops. The joint venture allows drivers to request fueling at the same time they are reserving a parking space through the TruckPark app. Fueling can also be requested through the FuelMe app, which provides access to the TruckPark reservation system, creating a seamless experience for truck drivers using either app.
“The driver will have to make a reservation for FuelMe and then stay at that particular location until the truck has arrived,” Petitte told FreightWaves. “The app uses geofencing technology so it can do everything in real time, but the preference would be the driver will remain in one area. If there is an absolute need to reroute, it can be canceled.”
In September, TruckPark, which first launched in the Chicago area as a platform to offer truck drivers a safe place to park at night for a fee, debuted TruckPark Reserve in September to provide dispatchers direct access to safe and secure parking and the ability to book multiple reservations seamlessly for their drivers.
The joint venture with FuelMe builds upon that and other announcements made by TruckPark in the past year to open up more access to reserved parking. The companies are offering a $50 fuel gift card toward the first purchase for early adopters of the service.
“With TruckPark and its national network, we as a team can offer an industry advantage with complete disruption for old-school rest and fueling options. Why not buy fuel while you rest and then get up and roll?” said William Marr, FuelMe president. “All this for less than pump prices will enable FuelMe and TruckPark to build a competitive position for full vendor reduction and service capabilities for years to come. It’s about time the fleet managers and independent drivers use their time for revenue and let us do the rest, pun intended.”
FuelMe was developed with the truck driver in mind, Marr explained, and utilizes a proprietary application that allows drivers to keep all their data in a single place to make route planning a breeze, he added.
The joint venture includes revenue sharing for both companies from each transaction.
Petitte said a FuelMe tanker will come to wherever a truck is for fueling, and the service is available at any time where a TruckPark customer is located – whether that is at a parking location, a warehouse, rest area or more.
“FuelMe is available nationally but the goal is to get the driver to book parking and opt in for fuel all at one time, creating a 360 solution,” Petitte said.
Earlier this year, TruckPark announced agreements with Echo Global Logistics (NASDAQ:ECHO) and Trucker Tools.
The partnership with Echo Global gives EchoDrive Preferred members a 50% discount on parking for owner-operators and fleets with one to five trucks, and a 25% discount for company drivers and fleets with six or more trucks.
The integration with Trucker Tools placed TruckPark’s parking reservation system inside the Trucker Tools app, which is used by 130,000 small fleet operations, Trucker Tools said.
Click for more FreightWaves articles by Brian Straight.
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