Here are a few easy and free ways you can cut your weekly fuel bill…
1 Reduce driving
Try to reduce the amount of time spent on the road. Reducing business mileage completely will be impossible, but substituting some journeys and using conference calls, instant messaging, or video-conferencing means fewer miles traveled, and also less time lost for staff while traveling. The added bonus: Happier staff usually means more productivity.
Although public transportation can’t always offer the door-to-door flexibility of a company car, there may be some journeys where it can offer useful savings, particularly when traveling into urban, downtown areas.
2 Drive fewer miles
If several members of staff are attending the same meeting, could they meet up somewhere beforehand and just take one vehicle instead?
Three members of staff arriving in one car immediately saves two-thirds in travel costs. Car-sharing can also work well with commuters traveling to and from the office.
3 Drive more efficiently
Better driving means increased fuel economy. Smart driving means steady, non-aggressive driving. Using less harsh acceleration and braking put less strain on the engine and vehicle. Teach drivers to look ahead and read the road and conditions so they can maintain speed, resulting in less fuel used in accelerating back up to speed if they have braked.
Changing into a higher gear as soon as possible means the engine is revving less than if in a lower gear.
Remove items such as roof racks and unnecessary items in the trunk when not needed as these impact fuel efficiency. Even on hot days, turn the A/C off intermittently. Selective use of air-conditioning will save energy as the car does not have to power the air-conditioning unit all of the time.
4 Use a GPS Vehicle Tracking System
GPS vehicle tracking has been proven to reduce fuel costs. GPS navigation optimizes driving and helps to reduce time spent on the road. It can prevent you from wasting time and fuel from getting lost, help you to avoid traffic and congestion, and find locations on the go.
For companies operating more than one vehicle, you have a fleet. THe Aberdeen Group recently concluded that GPS fleet vehicle tracking systems have helped companies reduce fuel costs by 13.2% on average. A Vehicle Fleet Tracking System easily prevents excessive idling, speeding and personal vehicle use. It also helps to improve routing and helps the average fleet reduce fuel costs by 13%. FieldLogix helps keeps vehicle fuel costs low by:
* Reducing excessive vehicle idling
* Reducing excessive vehicle speeding
* Improving the routing of vehicles
* Eliminating excessive personal use of fleet vehicles
* Improving vehicle maintenance
* Ensuring that vehicles do not leave designated areas
* Eliminating side jobs
5 Use fuel cards
cards offer a means of monitoring transactions, with exception reports giving alerts to fraud, while they can also show how particular drivers are doing in terms of fuel economy. The detailed reports the fuel card companies offer means it can break down what is business and private mileage. Fuel cards offer a discount on the pump price, although specific terms and conditions apply.