CALGARY — Shell Canada and Flying J Canada Inc. are combining their road transport businesses in Canada, including the incorporation of Shell Canada’s national cardlock network in Flying J’s Canadian travel plazas.

As well, Shell and Flying J plan to invest more than $200 million to build new facilities — including more than 15 new travel plazas which will feature Shell fuels — and remodel existing ones to create a comprehensive network for Canadian road transport customers.

“Flying J is the undisputed leader in the North American highway hospitality and service business,” said Les Markiewicz, Shell’s general manager of commercial sales and marketing, said in a press release. “Combining Flying J’s high quality services and facility standards with Shell’s nation-wide cardlock network and world-class fuels and lubricants, highlights the best of both companies.”

The companies say customers can expect an enhanced level of service, which includes showers, restrooms, food and seating areas as well as access to a suite of ancillary services such as banking, truck and trailer leasing and sales, insurance, payroll services, freight matching, and document management. Shell Canada and Flying J will also continue to offer their respective loyalty programs to customers.

In addition, the amalgamation includes the operational services of Shell Canada’s commercial fleet cards, which were previously developed and distributed with TCH, a Flying J company that specializes in multi-faceted money transfer products like fuel cards backed by leading web-based applications.

“The road transport industry in Canada is growing and changing,” says J. Phillip Adams, president of Flying J Inc. “Working together, we have the opportunity to grow our business, invest in our combined network and reduce costs, all in a way that maximizes the benefit for customers.”

The announcement builds on an existing relationship between Shell Canada and Flying J, which have worked together in the fuel supply, commercial card and road transport business. Most recently, Shell Canada and Flying J opened state-of-the-art travel plazas in Edmonton, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Plans to open other travel plazas in Western Canada later this year are underway.