BP Joins the Race to Create and Scale a Digital Fleet Payments Ecosystem

Fuel is at the center of the ecosystems that are changing fleet management, and by extension, logistics.

In just one of the latest examples, BP began its digital payments solution launch at the end of last month. It’s geared toward making the fueling process, and paying for it, easier for fleets.

The BP In-Truck Connect offering is debuting in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK, and will later be rolled out more broadly.

In terms of mechanics, the app-based solution allows drivers to refuel their trucks by confirming the fueling site through the app, unlocking the pump and refueling. The app logs the transaction and pays for the fuel. Beyond the fueling process, the app also enables data flow that tracks mileage and the purchases themselves so that drivers do not have to enter it manually.

In another nod to the way fleet management is embracing tech and platforms along the road to digitization, Wise Systems and IntelliShift integrated their solutions in May to create a fleet intelligence platform for last-mile delivery. The collaboration connects Wise Systems’ Dispatcher delivery automation platform and IntelliShift’s telematics device data. The result is that the platform promotes real-time status updates and on-demand dispatching.

PYMNTS data showed that 72% of surveyed fleet operators said as of the end of last year that fleet connectivity is important in the move to operate more efficiently. It is estimated that 48% of all fleets will be connected by 2025. “Reshaping Global Business With Connected Vehicles,” a PYMNTS and American Express collaboration, found that 72% of firms said reducing costs via connectivity is a high priority. Sixty percent said connectivity is important for vehicle security and locating vehicles.

In a panel discussion with PYMNTS, Corcentric Senior Vice President of Product Management Sudarshan Ranganath; Uber Freight Head of Strategy and Planning Jerry Tolochko; and SmartHop CEO Guillermo Garcia told PYMNTS, in general, when it comes to freight, last-mile efforts and logistics, real-time payments will help improve cash flow.

According to Tolochko, digital payment instruments dramatically decrease the risk of fraud. Payment controls also can help keep fuel costs transparent and under control.

“As you process payments, you can look for a number of things that might just call for additional scrutiny,” said Ranganath, adding: “You can have technology look at these patterns and identify that before you actually process a payment, it’s ‘good.’”

Tolochko said real-time payments present a “phenomenal opportunity for platforms that are able to manage the risk to deliver more value to their users, to their customers, since speed matters.”

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