There’s no meaningful use for them. They’re too untimely to use in a rush.
Since they don’t have a class restriction, and would otherwise take the slot of knives (Which is strange), they might as well be given to everyone that isn’t a vehicle crew by default- Because actual soldiers did have both shovels and knives.
Anything a shovel can do, there’s always a far faster equivalent in the engineer build tree.
With equipment presumably beginning to cost silvers to buy (And I frankly have nothing but hatred for the idea), the implication would be that shovels would cost 1 silver, or 25000 exp a piece.
Shovels themselves are unpopular already because they’re not worthwhile to use. They should’ve been an ability available to everyone by default. Heck, the soldiers we see in-game already have shovels hanging on their belt/webbing.
Or is the reason why they take the melee slot because they can’t be bothered to program another unique inventory space for soldiers? Sounds like the most likely explanation.