The cost of fuel could be a major expense for a business that runs a fleet of vehicles. Furthermore, it is one of the expenses that can be particularly difficult to anticipate and manage. In a typical week, you might only use half of your vehicles, but on one day, you might use them all. The answer to this question will be unique to each business.
Finding Out How Much Gas You Currently Spend
Automatically, with the help of telematics technology, or manually, with the help of receipts and spreadsheets, you can calculate the current reduce fuel costs of your fleet. The first method of employing GPS tracking technology can save you a lot of time and money while also giving you valuable insight into the operation of your fleet.
However, the following are required if you plan on manually gauging your fleet’s fuel efficiency:
- Settling on a system of measurement, like kilometres per litre
- The key is rolling out this metric fleet-wide and getting everyone in the driver’s seat on board.
- The act of giving feedback on performance and results, identifying areas for improvement, and outlining a strategy to bring about those areas of focus
Planning your fleet’s fuel budget can be a daunting task, even if you only have a small number of vehicles. This is because there are too many uncontrollable factors for standard metrics like mileage and expense reports to be useful. You can reduce your fleet’s fuel costs and improve the efficiency of your operations regardless of the strategy you choose to implement.
Strategies for Reducing a Fleet’s Gas Bill
Watch out for reckless drivers
It’s common sense that higher speeds result in higher fuel consumption. Going faster than the speed limit wastes more gas than going at or slightly below it. One way to reduce the expenses of running a fleet of vehicles is to install GPS tracking devices to keep an eye on things like speeding and harsh braking.
Keeping an eye on these habits will help you save money on fuel, but it will also make your fleet’s drivers safer and cut down on accidents caused by reckless driving.
Keep an Eye on the Engine RPMs
However, even though your fleet vehicles are not moving, they are still using fuel since they get about 0 miles per gallon when parked. Most modern fleet vehicles have an automatic start-stop function that shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a complete stop and restarts it when the driver presses a button.
Using GPS tracking technology to monitor engine idling can provide significant information about your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. This will show you exactly when and where the driver is idling the engine.
Maximize Your Path’s Efficiency
Do your fleet drivers spend their days shuttling all around the local area? If your drivers frequently make U-turns while on the clock, you should consider installing GPS tracking equipment to improve the productivity of your fleet’s travel routes.
With well-planned routes in place, your company’s operations as a whole will run more smoothly, and you’ll be able to serve more customers without overwhelming your fleet of vehicles. You can save money on fuel and avoid having to perform maintenance any sooner on your fleet vehicles if you optimise their routes.
Reduce Excess Vehicle Weight through Necessary Measures
Does each vehicle in your fleet need its own set of tools in addition to other types of heavy equipment before setting out on a trip? Lightening the load on your fleet’s vehicles will have no effect on their fuel efficiency.
If you want to keep your fleet vehicles from wearing out too quickly, it’s probably a good idea to teach drivers to regularly empty their vehicles of any unused items or cargo. This will avoid putting unnecessary strain on the vehicles. Vehicles’ lifespans can be further extended by reducing the amount of weight they carry, as this will cause less wear and tear on the vehicles themselves.