Dive Brief:
- Sheetz has partnered with software company Gravitate to implement an AI-powered fuel supply and dispatch solution, according to a Tuesday press release.
- CLI Transport, Sheetz’s dedicated fuel carrier, will use Gravitate’s tech for “supply optimization, logistics automation, auto-dispatch and order generation,” according to the press release.
- With this new agreement, Sheetz will be able to auto-generate orders for site replenishment, source orders in real-time and automatically allocate loads to drivers in an effort to boost efficiency.
Dive Insight:
With Sheetz looking to grow to 1,000 sites, streamlining its operations — including fuel transport — becomes increasingly vital to support that growth and keep costs down
Sheetz began looking for new dispatch solutions several years ago, noted Eamonn Clarke, director of petroleum distribution at CLI. They began looking at Gravitate in 2023 and ran what was ultimately a successful pilot of the software before making this agreement.
“As our operation nears the milestone of 1,000 stores, the roles of automation and optimization become ever more critical," Clarke said in the announcement.
Gravitate did not respond to requests for more information on the pilot by press time.
Tom Hunt, Gravitate's vice president of sales, said in the announcement that the company believes the new technology could reduce deadhead miles, or the miles a truck is driven without a load, by 2% to 5%.
The solution should be fully in place by this fall, according to the announcement.
Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz operates more than 710 convenience stores across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland, with terminals in the first three of those states.
Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Gravitate says it is the only AI-powered supply and dispatch system currently available.
