Are rising gas prices stressing you out?
The average gas price is already
at $5 or higher
in certain states like Michigan and California. Tons of other states are within
a penny of reaching the $5 mark. Unfortunately, gas prices are expected to
continue to rise over the following weeks.
If you own a fleet, you'll need to
do everything you can to cut fuel costs and improve driving efficiency.
Thankfully, we put together this complete guide on how to lower fleet fuel
costs.
Are you ready to pay less for gas
every week? Read on to find out how.
Educate
Drivers
Cutting down on idling is the first
step to lower fleet fuel costs. Let your team know how much money you waste
when vehicles are idle. Rather than disciplining your team, make the meeting an
educational opportunity.
By using education and incentives,
you'll be able to create a culture of accountability. Soon drivers will be
motivating each other to cut down on idle times so that the entire team can win
whatever incentive you have.
Another way to cut down on idling is
by using fleet management software that includes GPS tracking. The latest software
can provide you with live reports. If a vehicle is idling, you'll know right
away.
You can also review vehicle reports
over a specific amount of time. For instance, did you notice that a certain
week during the month had higher fuel costs? As long as you have the right
tracking software in place, you'll be able to pull a detailed idle report for
every vehicle.
Use the data you get from the
reports to coach drivers and improve overall efficiency. If there are any
real-time issues, respond to them immediately and set up an alert system. You
can even have the alerts come directly to your phone.
For instance, you could filter your
tracking software to alert you if a vehicle idles for over 5 minutes. Moving
forward, you'll want to take a long-term view of idling times and vehicle
usage.
Fleet
Management Driving Routes
Fleet management is key to running
things efficiently. One of fleet owners' biggest mistakes is putting customer
satisfaction above driving route efficiency. Instead, drivers need pre-planned routes
that they don't deviate from to help me maintain fuel efficiency.
A well-planned route will help
drivers accomplish each stop without backtracking. Sometimes a route plan means
that customers have to wait until later in the day to receive their shipments.
However, the efficient route will help save you a ton of money, which means you
can stay in business.
There's a lot of free route planning
software online. You'll simply need to enter all of the addresses the driver
will be visiting within a day. The route planning software will then determine
what stop the driver should visit first and last.
Quality software will also plot out
all of the middle points so your driver has a complete route for the entire
day. Be sure to talk to drivers about the importance of following the route
plan.
Use
Off-Peak Driving Hours
Are you taking advantage of off-peak
driving hours? Depending on where your company is located, rush hour traffic
could easily double or triple your fuel cost.
Forcing drivers to sit at red lights
is horrible for fuel efficiency. The stop-and-go traffic will raise your fuel
costs and hinder your delivery times. One of the best solutions is to start
creating a plan that utilizes off-peak driving hours.
Off-peak driving hours are the times
when the roads are friendly, and traffic is light. For instance, late evenings
and early mornings tend to be off-peak driving hours. Your drivers will be able
to enjoy less idling, better fuel efficiency, and more time-efficient routes.
Triple
Check Tire Pressure
Keep track of each vehicle's tire
pressure. Drivers should periodically check the tire pressure on a daily basis.
When tire pressure is low, it can
have a big impact on fuel economy at low speeds. For instance, at 40 miles per
hour with underinflated tires, you could wind up spending double in fuel costs.
To find out the preferred dryer tire pressure, check the vehicle door. The tire
pressure is usually listed at the bottom of the door in PSI units.
Help drivers out by making air easy
to access. Make a list of gas stations with free air and off road diesel
around the driver's route. While a lot of gas stations have air pumps, they're
not always working.
After identifying what gas stations
have working air pumps, you can notify drivers. Of course, it'd be best if you
could fill up the tire pressure at the job location. However, if a driver is
out on the road and notices the pressure's dropping, it'll be helpful if they have
immediate options.
If you install fleet tracking
software, you can look for an option that includes tire pressure monitoring.
The moment your vehicle's tire pressure starts to drop, you'll be notified via
your preferred communication method. Whether you want to find out about the
tire pressure alert through your phone or email will be completely up to you.
Avoid
Overinflating Tires
There's a myth in the driving world
that overinflating your tires improve fuel economy. However, this couldn't be
any further from the truth. Overinflating your tires puts you and everyone else
on the road at risk.
An over-inflated tire is more likely
to pop or succumb under pressure. To keep things safe, you'll want to train
drivers to only inflate the tires to the manufacturer's standard.
Lower
Fleet Fuel Costs
There you have it! The top tips for
lowering fleet fuel costs. Before you start making a bunch of new plans, it's
important that you get your drivers on board with the changes.
Plan a company meeting this week.
During the meeting, let drivers know the importance of fuel efficiency and how
you aim to meet those goals. Working as a team, you and your company can reduce
expenses and improve efficiency!
How could other tips help your business run better? Read another post to find out.
