How to properly manage your fleet in Latin America – Edenred

In Latin America’s largest automobile markets (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina), the price of gasoline and diesel increased 4.8% and 4.3% respectively on average from August-October 2021, according to data from GlobalPetrolPrices.com crunched by Fleet LatAm.

For more insight on fleet and mobility in Latin America, see our video playlist of the latest Fleet LatAm Conference. 

Influencing uptick in fuel prices the most was Brazil – the region’s largest automobile market – which saw increases of some 10% during the period and considerably higher in year-to-date figures. Worldwide, the average price of gasoline on Monday (1 Nov) was US$1.24 and diesel was US$1.13.

With that said, remember that proper Fuel Control and Fleet Maintenance is key to efficiently managing your fleet in Latin America, not to say around the world. Regarding the first, this means knowing the type of fuel your drivers are using, the time at which they are refueling, the location of the fuel stations, among other things.

One company helping fleet managers in this respect is multinational financial services firm Edenred which offers a digital platform for services and payments. Fleet LatAm - the Latin America arm of Global Fleet - spoke with company executives from Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina to this respect.  

Under the company’s MOVE (Fleet and Mobility) business, it offers two solutions for Fuel Control. One is Ticket Car, a multi-brand network solution, and the other is Shell Flota, an end-to-end solution much like Ticket Car but used exclusively at Shell gas stations. 

They both work via NFC Payments, meaning that Edenred has set up proprietary POS networks (hardware and software) at petrol stations which work hand-in-hand with stickers on the car windshields of every fleet driver through TRX payments. 

“TRX ensures which driver was at the gas station at the time of the transaction,” Edenred Argentina marketing and customer care manager Matias Varone (pictured left) explained, adding that the solution also features virtual cards, and a dynamic QR payment solution. 

“Our solutions address every segment, from CRT to Mobility companies. Thanks to our wide range of services, integrations, network, and our unique value proposition, we manage all fleet types and offer the best platform and services to our customers,” Argentina General Manager Pablo Chiappetta (pictured right) told Fleet LatAm.  

The platform allows the client to set up various parameters, among them being the type of fuel, quantity used (liters/gallons), days refueling occur, range covered (kilometers/miles), fuel networks used, and TRX details aimed at managing multiple drivers of a single car, among others.

It also integrates with GPS players, certifying all TRX by using Edenred transactional data along with the geo-positioning data of partners.

Meanwhile, the company launched a new regional version of its Fleet Maintenance platform this year. "Aimed at enabling clients to properly manage preventative and corrective repairs, it was first developed in Brazil, but it is also being used in Argentina and Mexico now," said Pablo Comba (pictured left) who is Commercial Director in Argentina.

Through the platform, Fleet Managers have access to the complete repair history of vehicles, and all information regarding the car. 

Edenred creates the merchants network according to the fleet needs of its clients and sets up technical teams who evaluate quotes aimed at getting the best repair price from the best car shops.
 
In Brazil, fuel price volatility is particularly a challenge, and this is making it harder for fleet managers to predict their annual TCOs (total cost of ownership). Unfortunately, fuel prices cannot be controlled but 
Edenred can help its clients and fleet managers be more efficient. 

According to Douglas Pina (pictured left) who heads operations in Brazil, the company has been working on new innovations such as its AI solution known as TED. It points out gas stations with lower prices and helps fleet managers decide on the best and most effective fuel for his or her fleet (gasoline or ethanol). 

The company also helps its clients save money by offering a solution that can indicate the best road route for heavy fleet, based on fuel price. 

“I would like to highlight our TicketLog Price Index, an index that became a reference in Brazil when we talk about fuel price monitoring per region. Based on that index in our user app, we can direct fleets to the gas stations with lower prices” says Pina.

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most beneficial features of the platform include a better UX and immediacy of the service through a 100% digital experience, as well as a dual tag with a single device, according to Javier Mier Y Teran (pictured right) who is Director of Fleet and Mobility in Mexico.

‘’Vehicles are equipped with two solutions, being toll and fuel.  Both of them offer improved security, contactless experience, and UX,” says Mr. Mier Y Teran.