In light of rising gas gas costs, it is important for fleet management to try and keep fuel costs as low as possible. Here are 5 ways fleet management can cut fuel costs:
1. It is important that truck drivers do not speed. It may seem like a good idea, after all you can reach your destination quicker. But overall speeding actually costs much more money, not to mention it is dangerous. According to fuel and fleet management experts, speeds over 60 mph drastically impact fuel efficiencies – cars traveling at 75 mph use 20% more fuel, while trucks traveling at 75 mph use 50% more fuel. They also emit 100% more carbon monoxide, 50% more hydrocarbons and 31% more nitrogen oxides. And don’t forget that a speeding ticket can increase your insurance costs.
2. Train your drivers to drive consistently and not be too aggressive. Jackrabbit starts save less than 3 minutes per hour of driving, but can result in 40% more fuel use. That’s not going to help your fuel savings or help your on time delivery.
3. Monitor the amount of time a truck engine idles with a fleet management system such as FieldLogix. Excessive idling can add as much as 50% to your fuel costs and can shorten the life of engine oil by 75%, adding even more costs. Allowing an engine to idle more than 3 minutes causes expensive damage which harms efficiency, shortens engine life and increases maintenance costs. It all adds up to big savings if you handle your fleet management correctly.
4. Check your tire pressure regularly. Proper tire inflation improves fuel mileage. Use a good quality digital tire pressure gauge. Truck drivers should check tire pressure everyday, while smaller vehicles should check tire pressure once a week. Statistics show improperly inflated tires can cost up to 2 weeks worth of fuel per year! Depending on the size of your fleet, two weeks per year, per vehicle means thousands of dollars in increased costs. Additionally, proper inflation results in improved vehicle and braking performance, and increased tire life.
5. It is impossible to improve what you don’t measure. You can only improve your fleet management program when you have the right information. Tracking miles traveled, average speed and engine efficiency is critical to cutting fueling costs. This information will help your drivers and managers optimize routes through better planning. A telematics-based fleet management system can eliminate thousands of unnecessary miles per week. Fewer unnecessary miles means less fuel consumed, less wear and tear on vehicles, decreased costs and an increase in overall fleet efficiency. Investing in a fleet management system pays off because it consistently has been proven to improve the bottom line.