Q&A with Marta Fàbregas (OnTurtle): “We seek partners that offer more than just a gas station”
PetrolPlaza explores OnTurtle’s evolution as a leading service provider for the European road transportation sector. We talk to newly appointed CEO Marta Fàbregas about the Spanish company’s history, how they serve the trucking community and the role of La Jonquera as its flagship service station.
Over the course of 28 years, OnTurtle has developed a network of partner service stations across 10 European countries. In addition to offering safe refueling at 1,700 OnTurtle partner stations, the brand provides its customers a range of services such as fleet management assistance, private parking and smart mobility solutions. OnTurtle’s idea of servicing HDV drivers is reflected in La Jonquera, its flagship service area of more than 25,000 m² and recognized as one of the safest car parks in Europe.
Marta Fàbregas, CEO of OnTurtle, has more than 30 years of experience in service for transportation professionals. Her career at OnTurtle dates back to the company's beginnings, when she was part of the sales department and later formed the international sales team, promoting various projects demanded by customers. In taking on this new role, Fàbregas seeks to maintain the brand's mission to serve and continue its evolution.
Q. How has OnTurtle developed from a single station in Cataluña to a continental player? What services do you focus on beyond refueling?
A. We started in 1995 aiming to become a service area for international transportation and offer safe refueling. The idea of establishing a network throughout Europe came to us after serving international and local customers who operate in other countries. Currently we are associated with 1,700 stations in 10 countries, some of them offering gas for NGVs (Natural Gas Vehicles). We focus on small and medium-sized companies that want a single supplier to assist them in every step of their journey, including toll services, VAT recovery, reports and quality.
Q. How did you develop your network over these 28 years? What do you focus on when searching for potential partners?
A. When we started 28 years ago, Spain had recently dropped the state monopoly on fuel retail so growth for an independent company was very difficult. After about 5 or 6 years, customer demand pushed us to look for independent stations to work with, always focusing on well-located service areas. Today we are also interested in parking areas that provide safety. We look for partners that share a similar mindset, that offer something beyond a gas station. In that sense, La Jonquera is our flagship location.
Q. What makes La Jonquera special and what role does it play in OnTurtle’s business?
A. We have looked for various features to differentiate La Jonquera due its strategic location, the border between Spain and France. This is possible thanks to factors such as license plate verification, private parking, and product quality control. When a customer comes to refuel with a prepaid service, the license plate, card, and customer status are verified first to give way to the refueling process, which is monitored by 40 surveillance cameras. Its parking has a level 2 certificate from TAPA (Transport Asset Protection Association), the organization dedicated to security in the transport chain, and Gold level from ESPORG (European Secure Parking Organization). We were recently awarded by ESPORG as the best parking facility in Europe for up to 50 spaces.
We also have a product quality certificate thanks to our microfiltration plant, which prevents the tanks from being tainted if any impurity is detected in the fuel arriving at the station. Although we offer quality fuel in all stations, we wanted the added value of this service due to our customer having to refuel several times at their bases and at other stations. In addition, we have a conduit for bacteria that uses magnetization instead of disinfecting it with a product or removing it. Taking care of the product before it goes down to the tanks is important so that our customers don’t have delivery problems.
Q. What services does OnTurtle offer its customers to differentiate itself from the competition?
A. OnTurtle was the first company to provide private parking facilities. We are certified by ESPORG and TAPA as more and more companies tap these certifications and even require their carriers to access zones specified by these organizations. Our team is an extremely important aspect due to their understanding of our customers, with some of them being with us since day one. We try to give them a lot of attention, if something goes wrong on the road, drivers need someone on the other side to solve the problem. That's why we are setting up additional systems, call centers, and solutions to minimize any disruptions.
For example, we have set up a system for customers to monitor all operations throughout the entire network. If a driver enters the wrong PIN code and gets blocked after their third attempt our staff can see which customer it is, which station and country he is in, allowing us to be more proactive. Our cards have a security package that allows us to limit them by country and station via geolocation. In the end, the customer can visualize and manage the information.
Q. Safety is an important aspect for your operations. What is your vision of an optimal and safe refueling system?
A. Safety means that the company trusts their drivers can refuel without slowing down. It is a mix of optimizing the security filters and guaranteeing refueling, plus offering parking as a safe hub.
We are committed to both the company and the driver. The company is the one who needs this control. We work very close to them; our aim is to provide any solution we can. We also consider the driver's well-being – if he needs a shower, a good restaurant or a comfortable stop. Everything adds up. When the driver is happy, he will drive calmly and the company will be happy, a win-win scenario for everyone.
Q. Do you believe the recent expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in European heavy-duty transportation will continue?
A. In the end, we look to adapt to our customers’ needs. Why did we look at natural gas? Because our customers started asking for it. Just as we expanded our stations in Europe based on our customers' routes, we will do the same with new fuels. For example, some customers are starting to ask us for HVO, and we are already working to include this fuel across our network. Regarding natural gas, we saw that each company had their own card and drivers had to carry too many with them. That is why we made agreements with different companies to implement a single card.
Q. As for OnTurtle’s future, what is the next step in your expansion process? What other markets or services do you identify as potential growth opportunities?
A. We will soon begin new partnerships in the Czech Republic and Romania. We will continue in this region as we see a good connection with the demand, especially with our parking network. We are also working on the acceptance of our card throughout Europe. This year we have launched our partnership with Calsina Carré, a logistics center with a strong presence in Spain and Morocco. It’s a center that offers a service area, a gas station and a parking lot that allows our customers to shorten their routes, optimize transportation and fleet management. This association allows us to help customers with fleet management, such as sparing a trip by cross-docking with a truck in the area.
Interview by Oscar Smith Diamante
