7 fuel saving tips for business fleets

A telematics system allows you to gather information about where your vehicles are and how they are being driven out on the road. You can also gather data to show you where fuel is potentially being wasted. Your transport manager then has the information they need to make changes and help everything run more efficiently.

Unexpected vehicle downtime can be a real inconvenience. Deliveries or other appointments may need to be rearranged at short notice and that may have wider implications for your customers and other business relationships.

Carrying out regular checks on tyres, oil, lights and brakes, to name just a few, can help to prevent unexpected delays. There’s also the fact that when your vehicles are in good working order, they’re more fuel efficient too.

Fuel prices can vary widely depending on where you are in the country. If your drivers need to refuel at a motorway service station you’ll also be paying a premium. It may help if you provide your drivers with a preferred supplier list.

Using telematics can also help as many integrate with fuel cards. This can allow your driver to receive live information about which service station to choose whilst they’re out on the road.

Driving sensibly may not be that exciting, but it’s great news for fuel economy. Your telematics system can help you to monitor how a vehicle is being driven and identify any behaviour which affects fuel consumption. Speeding and harsh braking use more fuel and also increases wear and tear which has a wider impact on fuel economy. By focusing on the issues you’ll be able to tailor your driver training to improve overall fuel efficiency.

Whilst telematics will help you to devise optimised routes that will help you to make savings on fuel, your drivers are still the experts out on the road. It’s important to balance their knowledge with the data you can gather from your telematics system. Getting regular feedback from your drivers helps them to feel part of the business and can increase their productivity overall.

If you’re making a delivery you’ll always need to use a vehicle of some sort. However, it’s worth looking at using alternative technologies in other areas of the fleet. Encourage your staff to think about whether they need to meet in person, or whether they can still have face to face contact using digital conferencing. This won’t always be a practical solution, however could make a difference over time.

If you want to improve fuel efficiency and improve standards you need to get your employees on board. They might not all be motivated to help you save money, however environmental concerns can be a powerful motivator. If your telematics data has revealed problem areas in how your vehicles are driven, highlighting the environmental impact could help you to make changes.