1. Making fuel go further
Saving fuel makes economic sense – and benefits the environment. In the haulage industry profit margins are tight and
cutting fuel use is a major way to save costs. One Dutch company is taking an innovative approach to learning new driver
techniques and finding ways to keep trucks rolling efficiently.
Erik-Jan Slijkhuis is working to help improve fuel efficiency
Fuel makes up around 25% of haulage company costs. Dutch firm Emons Group buys around 15 million litres of fuel each
year: “Cutting this by just 1% represents a big saving,” says Erik-Jan Slijkhuis, project manager. ”We were very keen to find
ways to use less fuel.”
The firm is now testing a new way to save fuel, Shell FuelSave Partner. The system is the first to combine tracking Shell fuel
purchases, through electronic fuel cards, with information about driver habits and truck performance from an on board
device. It monitors every aspect of the driver’s performance, from accelerating and braking, to sitting idle.
Technicians installed the devices into the cabs of 17 Emons trucks in just a few hours. At the company’s headquarters in
Milsbeek, the Netherlands, managers enter details of the truck into a database. Out on the road the device captures
information about the drivers’ behaviour and feeds back the data to the same database. GPS (global positioning system)
technology helps to track the position and speed of the trucks.
Less fuel, less CO2
Shell FuelSave Partner is already in use in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland and Hungary.
At Emons, the system supports its goal to cut fuel use by 20% before 2012. Its fleet of 450 trucks transport chemicals,
glass, recycled and general cargo.

2. “We use eco-tyres as they have less friction so there is less drag,” explains Erik-Jan. And he is looking at ways to make
trucks more aerodynamic, such as adding metal flaps to the lower sides of the trucks to reduce wind resistance.
Emons has adapted its trailers to reduce the number of journeys needed and lower overall CO2 emissions. It uses horizontal
metal partitions in some trailers that allow goods to be stacked on two levels. It has modified other trailers so they can carry
glass sheets on the outward trip and general cargo on the return. The first of these designs won an industry sustainability
award and the environmental benefits of both were officially recognised by the European Commission.
Shell FuelSave Partner helps to calculate how much CO2 a truck produces for each tonne it weighs for each kilometre it
travels. Emons can better manage its environmental footprint and help customers comply with emissions regulations.
Learning better habits
After six months of working with Shell FuelSave Partner, Emons has registered an average fuel saving of 5.3%. Some drivers
have cut fuel use by 10%.
Training supervisor Marc van Bree discusses driver performance
“This definitely has the potential for major fuel savings,” says Erik-Jan. “But you have to keep at it – we see big
improvements in driving behaviour after a feedback session.”
Training supervisor Marc van Bree uses information from the programme to tailor courses for individuals. “You can make all
the changes you like to a truck,” he says. “But the driver is still controlling it.”
Emons has converted a trailer into a mobile classroom so it can be driven to the firm’s other sites in the Netherlands,
Belgium, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Marc gives every driver a printout of his performance to help motivate
them: “Changing the habits of a driver with 25 years’ experience won’t happen overnight”.
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