People powered profile: Jon Mayes

Jon Mayes is the Managing Director of AD Fuels, a specialist in the transport of compressed and liquified natural gas.

For Astute’s latest People Powered Profile, he spoke with Aaron Rayner from our Renewable team to share his insight into the industry.

Can you tell us a bit about your career? 

I have worked in the haulage industry since I was 17, working for a family construction and plant hire business F.L. Gamble & Sons Limited.

I spent 15 years learning everything about operations, compliance, and logistics.

It was a steep learning curve and a thoroughly enjoyable part of my life.

The company had a rail plant division which was the jewel in the crown area of the business, I transitioned to Rail Plant Operation Manager where I learnt a raft of new legislation, compliance and health & safety considerations.

While at Gambles I took my HGV and Operators CPC.

I moved to the leading rail plant company, Hydrex, where I spent two years before moving closer to home as a Transport Manager for Viridor.

This was my first Transport Manager role where I managed their prestigious public-funded investment with West Sussex County Council.

I controlled 40 HGVs, 26 trailers and 55 staff in a corporate environment.

It was a very different experience to that of a family business, but very rewarding.

I met a lot of new contacts and ventured into more senior roles from time to time, on occasion being the Senior Contract Manager.

I completed my degree in Leadership and Management while with Viridor which was a positive period of my time with them.

I learnt some in-depth qualities that I didn’t know I had.

I still use a lot of them today.

After seven years with Viridor, I moved to Farm Fuel Limited, a transport company that supported a Sussex-based Anaerobic Digestion facility.

This move was a steep learning curve in the complexities of AD.

I learnt about feedstock quality, digestate spreading and the movements of High Consequence Dangerous Goods, namely bio-methane.

My time within this business was cut short due to the AD facility itself falling into administration, as a result, the transport support business suffered the same fate as its core business dissipated.

It was at this point in 2018, with four colleagues we decided to buy the assets back from the administrator and AD Fuels Limited was born.

Could you tell us a bit about AD Fuels and some of its key milestones since its foundation in 2018?

The directors of AD Fuels saw an opportunity in mid-2017 when a large-scale AD facility went into administration.

The internal transport department of this business became available, so it was decided to purchase this section of the business from the administration – and AD Fuels was born.

It was envisaged that we would work the CNG trailers on a network of virtual pipelines, but this proved tricky, so initially we shifted the fleet to that of waste and recycling logistics.

The sea-change event was the purchase of an LNG tanker in 2019.

Bringing this tanker into the fleet was a stroke of genius which put AD Fuels on the map.

Growing into LNG logistics was not easy, it was a very closed shop with the gas majors leading the way.

Once operational, the business found itself in a different arena and grew exponentially.

This single event paved the journey that we are continuing to tread.

AD Fuels was the first independent company to introduce an LNG tanker into the UK, what made you decide to do this and what are the benefits of having pioneered this method of transportation?

I discovered LNG in 2019.

I Googled it and learned a lot more about its uses.

I then wanted a tanker for our new business as I thought the transportation of LNG would work well in harmony with our already established CNG virtual pipeline haulage.

As the leading and largest haulier of LNG in the UK we are now looked upon by many organisations to share best practices.

The industry is still very young and as such much of the legislation is yet to be written.

With this in mind, AD Fuels is at the forefront of engaging with emergency services, industry leaders, customers, and suppliers to ensure what we do is as safe as it can be.

What are some of the biggest challenges the industry is facing?

LNG and CNG are the here-and-now alternative fuels to diesel, they are 90% cleaner, Iveco, Volvo and Scania build the trucks, yet the uptake is still relatively low.

Why is this?

I believe that the hype around hydrogen is to blame for the lack of shift to LNG/CNG.

Operators, industry and marine, and in some cases, aviation are all waiting for the golden nugget of hydrogen, which may never come.

Manufacturers are still a long way from having any real solutions, then the infrastructure to support them is non-existent.

It is my opinion that the hydrogen façade has interrupted the transition away from diesel, which continues to be detrimental to our environment.

I believe there will be a place for all these alternatives one day, but to continue to wait for the knight in shining armour is very shortsighted indeed.

The here-and-now alternative fuel for the future is LNG/CNG.

What are some of the trends you’re predicting in the next decade or so?

Once the hydrogen storm settles down, I believe the uptake of large hauliers transitioning to LNG/CNG alternatives to increase.

You will then see some of the smaller operators follow suit.

The requirement for public access stations will become more and more and the demand will increase for the fuel.

Industry and marine will have to consider how it fuels, and those burning a lot of heavy oils as a power source will need to transition to something green, which in turn will increase demand.

A new road tanker loading facility will also be required to meet the growing requirements.

I also believe that there will be a lot more UK liquification plants so that LNG is more readily available, and truly bio!

Beyond 10 years hydrogen might, just might, be a viable option, in terms of availability, cost and weight of vehicles which use them – until then, for me, hydrogen is not a real option.

And what are some of the skill sets you’re seeing high demand for?

Maintenance, in particular cryogenic maintenance.

The industry is very limited, and the need to maintain equipment is high.

As the reliance shifts away from diesel tankers and more to their cryogenic counterparts, the maintenance provision needs to shift too.

What do you enjoy most about working in the industry?

I like the fact that it is new and niche, I have worked in transport/logistics all my working life, but never have I been involved with something so unique.

I like forging the way, producing innovations within our fleet, sharing ideas and working with our customers to, not only be environmentally friendly but to try something new.

AD Fuels has done something no one else has done, and for that I am proud – I kind of like being a pioneer – it puts a smile on my face.

What advice would you give your younger self as you embarked upon your career?

I would tell my younger me to start to work for yourself as soon as possible.

Do not work for a large organisation for any longer than necessary to learn the fundamentals.

Working for yourself and developing your own team is tough, but doubly rewarding.

I wonder whether the younger me would have listened though!

Would you like to join Jon Mayes and be featured as Astute’s next guest in our People Powered Profile series?

If, like Jon Mayes, you’d like to be featured in Astute’s People Powered Profile series and discuss your career, please contact Aaron Rayner directly via email or LinkedIn.