NEWS
How to Reduce Fleet Fuel Costs
Did you know that the average trucker drives more than 125,000 miles each year in the United States of America? Running a trucking and shipping company is a great way to grow your wealth, but a big struggle that you’ll face is finding a way to manage your fleet fuel expenses. A major goal of fleet management is finding a way to make deliveries while gaining more fuel efficiency.
Little things like fuel delivery services make a big difference, but there are other things that you can do to take your fleet fuel management up to a new level. The good news is that you’ve found the perfect guide to learn all about lowering your fleet fuel costs and running an efficient business.
Keep reading this article to learn more about lowering your fuel expenses today!
Reduce Engine Idling
One of the most wasteful practices within the trucking industry is letting the engine idle for extended periods of time. Idling the engine of your truck will waste close to a quarter of a gallon per hour. Semi-trucks are the biggest culprits of idling, and they waste more than 1,000 gallons of fuel each year on engine idling.
A great way to cut this practice out is to have your drivers turn their engines off when making or receiving deliveries. It’s also a great idea to consider cutting power to the engine when your drivers are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway. Warming up the engine before driving is also a big waste of fuel, so try to train your drivers to get in the truck and start driving.
Monitor Driving Habits
Driving habits are another big reason that the costs of fueling our fleet are rising. Many trucking companies are turning to GPS monitoring for fleet fuel management. A GPS tracker will allow you to track how fast your drivers are going and the routes that they’re taking when they’re handling deliveries.
A good driver will save a significant amount of gas compared to a poor driver. Training will go a long way, but getting GPS tracking to monitor your drivers will help you save a ton of money on fleet fuel going forward. Combining that with bulk fuel delivery will allow you to make quicker deliveries while reducing costs.
Maintain Your Vehicles
Another effective way to lower your fleet fuel costs is to remain proactive with vehicle maintenance. Vehicles that have poor maintenance will operate in a less efficient manner. Engines that have the proper tuning will allow you to save money when it comes to fueling your fleet.
Not only will you save money on fueling your fleet vehicles but you’ll also save money on repairs. The engine repairs for your trucks are a hefty expense, but paying for maintenance will allow you to avoid those big expenses. That combined with lower fleet fuel costs makes vehicle maintenance a no-brainer.
Plan Your Routes
Working together with your drivers is also an effective form of fleet management if you’re running a trucking fleet. The GPS technology that you can use to monitor driving habits is also perfect for planning routes that your drivers should take during deliveries.
This GPS technology will not only help you save money through good driving habits but it will also allow you to find the most efficient routes for your drivers. They can factor in the drop-off and pick-up points with GPS tracking. Not only will your drivers save time but they’ll also save a good amount of fuel with successful route planning.
Get a Fuel Card
Fuel cards are a great addition to your fleet management strategy for a number of reasons. You will have a much easier time tracking the fuel costs for particular drivers and you will have an easier time estimating future expenses for your fleet. The big reason to consider getting a fuel card is the money that this option will save you in the future.
Many fuel cards offer discounts and rewards for users that choose this way to refuel their vehicles. You will spend less on fuel while helping your drivers to make their deliveries in a timely manner. It’s also an effective way to counter fuel theft from drivers.
Avoid Unnecessary Weight
Weight will also play a big role in determining how much it costs to continue fueling your fleet. Adding a few extra hundred pounds to your truck might not seem significant, but that extra weight will add up in fuel costs over a longer haul. It’s easy for the gas expenses to mount if you’re adding unnecessary weight to your fleet’s trucks.
Look for ways to reduce the weight on your trucks if you’re worried about your fleet fuel costs. You should also avoid going over the stated payload of the truck as this will save you money on gas while keeping your drivers safe while on the job.
Avoid Peak Driving Hours
Peak driving hours will kill the gas mileage of your trucking fleet, so if you’re looking to reduce the amount of fleet fuel that you’re using then you should encourage driving during non-peak hours. You’re setting your drivers to get stuck in rush hour traffic if they get caught on the road during peak driving hours.
Traffic will be much lighter if your drivers are focusing on driving at night rather than early in the morning or in the middle of the afternoon. One thing to keep in mind is that road construction is often more busy at night than in the morning.
Take Your Fleet Fuel to a New Level
The biggest concern that many fleet managers face is finding ways to lower the cost of fleet fuel each year. Reducing engine idling and monitoring driving habits is a great way to improve fleet fuel management. You should also encourage your drivers to avoid driving during peak hours and look into getting them fuel delivery services. Check out the rest of our blog page if you’re seeing more encouraging and supportive content like this!
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
