Story saves thousands through Shell Fleet Insights
Through its partnership with Shell Fleet Solutions, Story Contracting has successfully reduced fuel costs, improved safety and compliance, and strengthened driver performance, laying the foundations for continued optimisation and a confident transition towards a lower-emission fleet.
Story Contracting provides rail, plant, construction and Geotech solutions across the UK. A Shell customer since 2019, Story made significant savings this year by working closely with Shell Fleet Solutions to analyse and optimise its fuel spend.
It also made improvements across safety, compliance and driver behaviour by harnessing Shell’s knowledge, expertise and data-powered insights.
The business is now working with Shell to transition to a zero-emission fleet by 2035.
Improving safety, costs and compliance
Story is growing rapidly and in recent years expanded its fleet to 650 petrol and diesel vehicles: 300 cars and 350 commercial vans.
Throughout 2025, Carl Bevan, Commercial Fleet Manager, worked closely with Shell and his Shell account manager Natasha Chadwick to address his top three priorities: driver safety, cost reduction, and compliance. Their work was based on analysing fuel data from the monthly tailored Shell Fleet Insights Report.
Shell Fleet Insights enabled Carl to significantly reduce the number of transactions and the amount of money spent at motorway service stations, saving around £20,000 a year. He was also able to stop high grade fuel purchasing, saving around £25,000 per annum.
Using data to inform and transform
Meanwhile, Story’s drivers have increased the proportion of fuel transactions they make with Shell and Shell’s partners to 69 percent - a record for the company. This enables the company to optimise its fuel spend and take advantage of favourable pricing with Shell.
Additionally, Greater visibility of behavioural data has helped reduce potential fraudulent and inappropriate transactions.
“Shell is helping us to protect ourselves from inappropriate spend. This calendar year we're seeing month-to-month improvement, so good collaborative work!” Carl says.
Strategic decarbonisation with Accelerate to Zero
The growing partnership between the two partners also covers sustainability, with Story being committed to having a green electric fleet in place by 2030.
To achieve this, Story is utilising Shell’s knowledge and experience in fleet transition through the Accelerate to Zero decarbonisation programme, which the company joined in 2023.
“With the expertise, knowledge and resources that Shell has behind them, they are a logical partner for us,” says Carl.
Partnering for success with Shell
Carl says, “With the Shell Fleet Insights report, it’s like I'm peeling the onion. By improving fuel spend, safety, compliance and driver behaviour, we removed a few important layers together, and there’s more to come.”
He adds, “The Shell Fleet Insights report has enabled Story to improve its fuel spend along with driver safety and compliance performance and enhanced driver behaviour with recognition that there’s more improvements required.”